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TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

Fighting crime by Internet OK

Using the Internet to fight crime is a good idea and should be used more often. YouTube.com is filled with fun videos that can distract viewers for hours. But now, a handful of police departments are utilizing YouTube by posting surveillance videos for the public to watch so it can aid in identifying criminals.One problem police are facing is making the videos of criminals stand out among the thousands of others on YouTube. The more videos of criminals posted, the more people will notice them. As long as people are aware surveillance videos are on YouTube, they will not be able to resist watching them.

According to a Miami Herald article, Sgt. Michael Bentolila in Aventura, Fla., said, “This is just something else – an extra added feature that we can now use to get our message out there on a countrywide or worldwide basis.”

One of the most successful YouTube cases was in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Police posted a 72-second surveillance video of a fatal stabbing outside of a hip-hop concert on YouTube’s Web site, according to the Miami Herald. The video received more than 35,000 hits, and within two weeks, police had enough information for an arrest, thanks to tips from viewers.

I think people will be curious enough to watch a few surveillance videos posted by police. It is worth a try to see if anyone may have information. It has never been so easy to communicate to the masses. Using YouTube to share surveillance videos gives everybody a chance to share information and puts YouTube to good use. You never know who may be connected with the people involved in a crime. Now that information can be shared quickly and confidently, more people with useful tips may come forward and tell police what they know. This is a great alternative for individuals with knowledge of crimes because they may feel safer telling officials what they know.

Hannah Daugherty, a junior social work major, said, “I would report tips to police knowing that I would not get in any trouble for it.”

It makes sense for police to use YouTube because it is the latest technology that most young people are familiar with. The Internet is here to stay, and from now on, almost everyone will know how to use it.

Michael Brady, a retired police chief in Charlestown, R.I., who teaches criminal law and criminal procedure at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I., said in a Yahoo! News article, “I kind of applaud the fact that police are using the latest tools. We tend to get stuck in technology deficits. We tend to want to stick with the old tried-and-true.”

It is important to take advantage of the latest technology. If posting videos of criminals on YouTube can lead to their identification and arrests, I think it is a great idea. Maybe this effort to involve the public in catching the bad guys will make criminals think twice before they commit crimes because their chances of getting caught are much greater with thousands of people trying to identify them.

Michelle Anderson is a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Tyler. Her column appears Fridays.

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