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Intelligence Analysts Relying More on Open Source Data

Stephen G Serrao

As law enforcement analysts and investigating officers do their jobs, they are finding a treasure trove of useful information on the Web. In fact, there’s been a significant increase in the amount of open source data that is being used by law enforcement over the past 5 years. Internet search tools, social networking sites, and other Web 2.0 technology tools have matured in that time span and now investigators can learn a lot about a suspect and build a picture based on public information. Some of that data actually comes from information a person may publish in his or her own Web-based profile.

In the pre-Internet days, analysts and investigators used open source tools like “reverse” phone directories or they would visit the city tax office and look up ownership of property. They would learn information by reading the newspaper or they might do “trash runs” or “dumpster-diving.” Now, technology allows officers to point content retrieval tools at specific Web sites, and automatically scrape and store information in a database alongside intelligence data. This open source data can be compared and contrasted against existing intelligence data.

Street Gangs are known to post pictures of their gang signs, graffiti, and tattoos on social media sites, often times filling in the details for police. Intel officers are harnessing publicly available info to learn suspect birthdates, property ownership, and more. If they need to conduct surveillance at a suspected gang meeting location, they check Google Earth to determine the routes of ingress and egress, and the best spot from which to conduct surveillance.

Open source can help determine known associates. If an officer tails a suspect to a business location and they meet with someone, you can often times quickly learn who owns the company and develop additional relationship details.

One of the major advances that allow open source data to be useful is unstructured data searching. Previously, if you wanted to search for a tattoo, you’d have to go to a field-based search in the tattoos field of a database. With unstructured search, you can find a free-text narrative from a witness statement that described a rose tattoo in a previous case. You could search rose tattoo in open source, too, and find a picture of a rose tattoo on a Facebook page, and you could show that to the victim for an ID.

Federated searching is also important. Now, analysts are able to resolve identities and confirm that a Joe Smith in one database is the same Joe Smith in an open data source. The open source trend, coupled with new system technology, has accelerated investigations. It makes more meaningful data available faster.

Captain Stephen G. Serrao is a former New Jersey State Police Counterterrorism Bureau Chief, and now helps shape the direction of intelligence management software as Director of Product Management, Americas Region for Memex, Inc., a worldwide provider of intelligence management, data integration, search and analysis solutions (www.memex.com). Serrao can be reached at steve.serrao@memex.com.

Preparing Public Safety Recruits for Innovation

Mike Bostic

During incidents, everyone counts on cops to be quick, strong and competent. But overall, we should also hope they’re familiar with science, math and technology concepts.

Every day, we’re seeing significant advances in technology and it’s critical for public safety personnel to understand the many helpful tools rapidly becoming available. Whether its a new video surveillance system, iPhone app for officers or the latest changes to Facebook, a familiarity with new technology can enable law enforcement to work smarter and more effectively.

But a background in science and math concepts can also help move the profession to new heights. A solid background in science and math can help officers leverage the now ever-present smart phones and social media to educate the public, gather information and connect to the community through new channels. Officers know the challenges they face in the field and are uniquely qualified to drive technology innovation to help them in their jobs.  Understanding how data systems work, how to operate them and how they connect can help law enforcement agencies stretch their technological capabilities and find new applications for them. For managers, guiding departments in adopting cutting-edge systems that adapt to our changing times is also immensely important.

However, U.S. students are faring poorly in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math) when compared to other countries. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, U.S. students rank 19th and 14th in math and science, respectively, out of 31 countries listed.

But these dismal facts are also motivating action. Earlier this year, the president announced $250 million in funding for recruitment and training to increase the quantity and quality of STEM teachers. Companies are also stepping up. Raytheon’s MathMovesU program engages middle school students in math by connecting it to their interests and exciting careers.

These programs are a step in the right direction – and we all need to make an effort to get on the ball in the new era of technology. Educating ourselves and future recruits can have an important impact on law enforcement agencies’ ability to better serve and protect our communities.

“You Gotta Win With These Guys”

Tommy Lasorda addressed the CPOA

“You gotta win with these guys”, featured speaker and former Dodgers pitcher and manager, Tommy Lasorda repeated that phrase as he addressed the crowd at the California Peace Officers Association (CPOA) on May 24th. He was relating how he sometimes embellished the stories he told his players in order to motivate them to be champions. By the sound of it, the players not only believed every word he said, but the “stories” he told them often succeeded in getting them to believe in their indisputable success.

The CPOA, for the first time, ran dual tracks of training at this year’s annual training symposium. One of the tracks was made up of four sessions on social media in law enforcement (SMILE). The first one presented the lay of the land with two chiefs and one assistant chief from law enforcement agencies in California who are leading the way with SMILE. Chief Rick Braziel of Sacramento, Chief John Neu of Torrance and Assistance Chief Jason Benites of Oxnard related their agencies best practices with the new tools collectively referred to as “social media”. I was fortunate to have been asked to moderate. Each agency has its own formula that works for it. They talked about their successes as well as things that didn’t work and where they plan to go next. Chief Neu explained how his strategy in social media came from a survey of citizens who told them they want more information and increasingly they want the information digitally. Chief Braziel highlighted his internal communications and training platform built with Moodle and Assistant Chief Benites spoke proudly of Oxnard’s “Straight to You” program primarily made up of weekly video messages.

In another session, members of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department delivered a terrific primer on investigations with social media tools. Showcasing the Detective Information Resource Center (DIRC) office, Sergeant David Poling and his colleagues discussed several case studies and took the audience through step-by-step how they were able to locate their suspect through persistent investigation of social media platforms including MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. DIRC provides its services to both the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and outside law enforcement agencies.

A third session designed to provide some basic online training suffered a setback when Internet to the entire hotel and beyond went out less than an hour before the session started. It didn’t come back online so Deputy Chief Paul Bockrath from Fairfield set me up with his aircard and the hotel offered up a small wireless hub which accommodated about 5 people. Others had aircards or went without. We made it work. Having the Internet go out at the most crucial moment is like bad weather at the game. If you can find a way, you continue to play, which we did. We were still able to cover the basics of Twitter, Facebook and Nixle messaging.

Another session was a fascinating discussion about legal issues with social media in the law enforcement workplace and how they relate to the development of social media policy for law enforcement. The panel included Chief Tim Jackman of Santa Monica, Captain Richard Lucero of Fremont, Sergeant Tom Le Veque of Arcadia, Officer Jeff Van Wick of Murrieta, Attorney Kevin Hancock from Lexipol and myself as moderator. It was a fairly comprehensive dialog about many court cases which have either resulted in a cop losing his job or being disciplined, or other cases which may drastically effect the LE workplace in another way. As a result, I was more than a bit worried that we’d leave the audience more trepid about social media use in law enforcement than anything.

There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens. ~Tommy Lasorda

Perhaps Captain Rich Lucero, made the most salient point at the end of the session. He pointed out that the Quon case (Ontario, California, Police) was just argued in front of the Supreme Court a few weeks ago, the high court’s opinion is not expected for a few months. The Quon case involves an officer’s personal use of a pager issued by his agency and his right to expectations of privacy. And yet, it’s already outdated because it’s about technology that is no longer widely used. “It’s pretty clear, we’re having to figure these issues out for ourselves.” Lucero said and added, “this technology is changing so fast, there’ll never be case-law that’s really relevant to what we face on any given day.”

Tommy Lasorda visits with Long Beach Chief and CPOA President Jim McDonnell

Tommy Lasorda certainly wasn’t the first person to play baseball, but just as certainly, he played and managed the game his own way. He was fearless, inventive, strategic, and had a lot of heart. His message to the CPOA attendees definitely spoke to leadership. It struck me that what he said applies to the current state of implementing social media tools into the law enforcement arena as well. With social media, there’s no manual, no rulebook and no historical evidence. There’s also no World Series of SMILE to win. But law enforcement stands to win big. We have to approach SMILE with the same courage, creativity, strategy and tons of heart as Lasorda exemplifies. Lasorda won more than he lost. In the world of SMILE, there’s far more to be won than lost. With SMILE, you gotta win with your guys (and girls) and you will. You can bet on it. I’m here to help get you in the game, hit a few homeruns and make SMILE’n champions out of you.

Tommy LaSorda is also known to have said, “There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens.” Throw the ball already, the bases are loaded.

Law Enforcement’s Unfamiliar Territory

Alex Gerage is a graduating senior at Loyola University Chicago double majoring in communication and political science. This fall, he will attend graduate school at Northwestern University for a master’s degree in communication. Alex has long been intrigued by the relationship between today’s new media and government. For an independent study project, he researched social media’s impact on law enforcement practices, and the implications such an innovative pairing may have on public outreach and crime solving. Follow him on Twitter
@AlexGerage.

The days of old school police work are over

The first decade of the 21st century has seen the rise of new media and communication practices. The forefront of this media shift has been the adoption of online social networks to communicate. This wave of innovative technology, which has seemingly reached all corners of American culture, has now caught the attention of law enforcement across the country.

This paper will explore the extent to which social media has been incorporated into law enforcement practices to help communicate with the public and solve crime. To better understand these issues, I interviewed Lauri Stevens, a social media consultant to law enforcement at LAwS Communications, via email. I also spoke with Michael Vallez, a former police officer, who is now a social media strategist at USIS, over the phone. Their insight highlighted how many police departments see the potential of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to engage with their communities. For others, social media adoption has been hindered by the cost concerns. Regardless, social media is an issue law enforcement can no longer avoid.

Motivation for Change: The Purpose of Social Media in Law Enforcement

Above all else, law enforcement agencies see social media as an opportunity to reach their communities, who increasingly use social networks to communicate and consume news. In March, Facebook surpassed Google as the most visited website on the internet. According to Facebook.com, the social network houses over 400 million active members, and half of them log on to the site every day. Other social networks like Twitter and YouTube have grown at a remarkable rate despite being in existence for five years or less.

With social networks becoming a norm of everyday communication, they are increasingly being used for illegal purposes. Criminal activity traditionally seen outside cyberspace has entered the social network realm. For instance, KTLA News in California reported in November of 2009 that an increasing amount of gang members are using Twitter and Facebook to recruit and organize operations. In addition, cybercrimes like identity theft, child pornography and online scams increased by 22.3% in 2009, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2009 Annual Report.

With this in mind, law enforcement agencies recognize they must establish a presence in the digital realm to foster stronger relations with their community and to fight crime. As Lauri Stevens explains, police departments are adopting social media to actively connect with citizens, “If they’re really smart, the agencies are engaging citizens with these platforms to generate positive attitudes toward their departments just by the simple fact that they are engaging even more than anything they’re saying in particular. Additionally, many agencies are using the platforms to conduct investigations.”

What are the primary social networks being used? How are they using them?

There is no single social media application that can meet a police department’s needs. Fortunately, law enforcement is learning about the unique purpose and structure of the internet’s most popular networks, and is using them to communicate with the public and solve crimes in their cities.

Facebook has proven to be more than a host for college party pictures. Instead, law enforcement has used the service to post wanted signs of individuals tied to crimes. According to a posting on Mashable.com by Lon S. Cohen, several departments have employed Facebook to post “digital wanted signs.” The Boynton Beach Police Department in Florida and the Leicestershire Constabulary in the United Kingdom are two of many that have posted pictures of ongoing investigations to spread the word and, according to Cohen, encourage “residents to respond with any leads they might have.”

Twitter provides the opportunity for departments to “tweet” instant messages to citizens that follow them, which has proven valuable in communicating breaking news. The Lowell Police Department in Massachusetts uses Twitter to update their community about traffic accidents, “Accident on RT 38: There was an accident on Rt. 38 this morning that is causing traffic to be blocked on Rogers St.” Similarly, the Birmingham Police in Alabama recently used Twitter to spread the word about a missing person, “Missing Person: The Birmingham Police Department would like your help in locating: Andrew Ramey, 38, of Birmingham.”

YouTube also has shown to be effective in alerting citizens about crime in their area. The Milwaukee Police Department is one of several across the country that maintain their own YouTube channel. The department has posted 91 videos that range from press conferences to security footage of at large criminals. Attached to these clips are Milwaukee Police contact information so citizens can reach them if they have tips.

When asked about how these mediums and others are helping police reach the community, Lauri Stevens said, “I think these platforms are helping law enforcement agencies increase the amount of news that gets to the public. Previously they had to rely on traditional media outlets to cover their stories. Now they generate the stories themselves directly to news consumers.”

Indeed, the most notable effect of adopting social media is that law enforcement is able to communicate directly with citizens. And in Stevens’ experience, direct communication pays off, “The ones who are really engaging people and tweeting opinions, comments, news about arrests, safety tips and etc. are getting great results.”

Arguably no department has a more comprehensive social media platform than the Boca Raton Police Department in Florida. Led by Chief Dan Alexander, the Boca Raton Police has adopted several social networks in order to communicate with their community. The department has their own YouTube channel where they post surveillance video of crimes in hopes of identifying and locating perpetrators. They use their Facebook page to post criminal wanted signs and press releases. Their official Twitter account acts as a forum for breaking news regarding accidents or crimes in progress. In addition, Chief Alexander also operates his own blog and Twitter page.

Although each medium serves a unique purpose, they all encourage feedback from the community. Florida citizens have gravitated to these pages and responded to the department’s outreach for help and engagement. The Boca Raton Facebook page is filled with praiseful comments like “Thumbs up!” and “Great job!” Their Twitter page has over 1000 followers that “re-tweet” information about missing persons and other emergencies. These measures have fostered a new relationship between the police and the public that stresses department transparency and teamwork.

Arguably the most striking move by the department is that it no longer releases written press releases to the media. All statements and press releases are released online, where they are available to journalists and the public. While the Boca Raton Police are currently the exception to the rule, they embody the potential law enforcement has to establish a comprehensive social media strategy.

The Attitude of Law Enforcement Agencies

The police departments that have been most proactive in implementing social media have done so because top personnel have led the charge. In an August 2009 article on her ConnectedCops.net blog, Lauri Stevens explained that police chiefs must set the tone for their departments and lead in the adoption of social media, “In order for the agency to gain the credibility it would need to achieve success, the top brass needs to not only buy in but also communicate their approval and encourage their officers to participate.”

Sergeant Tom Le Veque, wrote in a November 2009 post on Cops 2.0 that social media is having a uniting effect because it has connected police chiefs to younger officers. In his article, he explains that Bellevue Police Chief John Stacey attracted the attention of a younger officer after announcing he was attending the #140 Twitter Conference:

“Chief Stacey described how a young officer ‘lit up’ during a recent briefing where the Chief mentioned that he would be out of town for a Twitter conference. The young officer was surprised that the Chief knew what Twitter was all about. That officer and the Chief had never really engaged in conversation before that moment, but because of that common ground have developed a new and improved rapport.” (Le Veque)

Instances like these not only show the benefits that social media can have in connecting a police department to the community, but also the way in which veterans of the force can form bonds with new officers.

Not All Departments On Board

Despite the positive attitudes law enforcement agencies have shown towards social media, structural and financial limitations have prevented some departments from jumping on board.

Michael Vallez notes that the cost needed to maintain a social media presence has left police departments asking, “What am I going to have to do, have a guy monitor Facebook?” Particularly in this economic climate, Vallez believes police departments do not want officers in front of a computer when they could be out in the field. With that said, he contends that, at a minimum, Twitter and Facebook should be used by police because they can provide immediate communication to the public during times of emergency.

Another concern for police departments is the time commitment needed to implement a social media strategy. While most applications are free to join, substantial dedication is needed to establish a profile and update it consistently. Many police departments simply do not have the personnel or time to devote to a comprehensive campaign. According to Lauri Stevens, underestimating the time and effort involved in maintaining a social media presence can lead to problems for a department:

“They shouldn’t underestimate the amount of time it takes to manage and run these online presences. Training is important, not only to make sure their officers don’t do something that will get themselves into trouble, but also because what they need to do is plan it up front to create their strategy, design and schedule their training, determine their resources and roll-out their program.” (Stevens)

Stevens says the campaign plans she has overseen have taken anywhere from one week to eight months to be implemented, “It really depends on the size of the agency.” As she later suggested though, the apprehension some departments have to dive into social media may run deeper than their pocketbook or schedule, “Cops are resistant to change. We all are but I think they are a little more so.”

The SMILE Conference

“I’ve created The SMILE Conference to bring together the best of the best law enforcement professionals using social media with the goal of helping them share best practices with each other and with delegates in attendance. The people registering for the conference are the people who will be the next to roll out comprehensive, well-designed social media communication plans in their agencies.”
~ Lauri Stevens

One of the most effective ways law enforcement agencies are learning about the benefits of social media is through the SMILE Conference. The three day forum serves as a hub for law enforcement personnel to learn about social media’s potential in the industry. As the creator of the conference, Lauri Stevens believes the event helps exchange ideas and spurs social media adoption in more law enforcement agencies:

“I’ve created the SMILE Conference to bring together the best of the best law enforcement professionals using social media with the goal of helping them share best practices with each other and with delegates in attendance. The people registering for the conference are the people who will be the next to roll out comprehensive, well-designed social media communication plans in their agencies.” (Stevens)

The 2010 SMILE Conference was held in April in Washington, DC. According to the SMILE Conference website, 19 different speakers spoke about social media in law enforcement. The diverse lineup of presentations ranged from former Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Mike Bostic on “Social Media in Systems Integration” to Toronto Police Constable Scott Mills’ presentation on “Using Social Media and the Internet to Prevent Violence.”

Michael Vallez was also in attendance at the conference. His presentation called “Podcasting: Who, What, Where, Why” examined the potential podcasts have to be used in emergency circumstances. Before now, podcasts have been largely created for entertainment purposes to serve niche audiences. Vallez explained how podcasting can be used by police departments to release audio and video to the public in emergency situations. As he told me before this year’s conference, SMILE has the potential to grow into an even bigger event, “I think it’s great. I’m an evangelist for having social media in police departments. Over time, this is going to grow into a bigger conference.”

Interestingly, if creator Stevens gets her way, another conference will be on the horizon. Her hope is to have a SMILE Conference on the west coast of the United States before the year ends.

The Future of Social Media in Law Enforcement

All innovative technologies need time before they are adopted into the culture. Facebook and Twitter are established media platforms today, but three years ago, were still considered start up programs designed for niche audiences. On a similar level, Lauri Stevens suggests the concept of social media in law enforcement can one day have mass establishment, but needs time to develop:

“I believe law enforcement use of social media is in its infancy. If you’re familiar with Geoffrey Moore’s writing, he speaks of an adoption curve. Adoption of social media by law enforcement is at the point of where the line of adoption is about to turn up. I don’t have any empirical evidence, only my hunches. But my intuition has served me well in the past.”

One reason the future looks bright for social media in law enforcement is because the United States federal government has taken a proactive stance in incorporating social media use. Agencies from the Center for Disease Control to the Department of Homeland Security maintain Twitter or Facebook pages online. Such a move brings new meaning to “government transparency.” United States citizens not only have the opportunity to follow their government directly, but the potential is also there to engage with them.

A February 2010 memo by the Department of Defense outlined an official social media policy for staff and members of the military to follow. In an August 2009 story by Reuters, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn explained the importance of drafting a uniform policy, “These tools are proving valuable in areas such as recruitment, public affairs, and quality of life for our military personnel, as well as sharing information with allies, coalition partners and military families.”

According to Michael Vallez, a comprehensive and committed effort by the government will motivate law enforcement agencies at the local level to develop an online presence. He believes the top-down approach will encourage police to follow the government’s lead, and before long, social media will be an established part of law enforcement communication. If agencies can move past the financial and time cost of such an endeavor, which is no given considering the economic times, social media will definitely catch on.

The Freight Train

“My thought was seeing and feeling the intensity of a freight train going by as you are standing next to the tracks as it goes speeding past. The energy alone is mind blowing. Knowing that information processing is even more intense it seemed way more sensible to get on or get involved with it or you will literally be left alone by yourself wondering what happened. When you step out to look or try to catch up you get run over by the next one coming twice as fast.”
~ Chief John Stacey

Chief John Stacey of the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska has led his department to be one of the most active law enforcement agencies in social media. He explained to me via email that he likens the clamor of social media in law enforcement to an approaching freight train:

“My thought was seeing and feeling the intensity of a freight train going by as you are standing next to the tracks as it goes speeding past. The energy alone is mind blowing. Knowing that information processing is even more intense it seemed way more sensible to get on or get involved with it or you will literally be left alone by yourself wondering what happened. When you step out to look or try to catch up you get run over by the next one coming twice as fast.” (Stacey)

His analogy offers a simple message to law enforcement across the country: it is time to get on board.

What’s All the Chatter About?

Communication, both internal and external, is essential for law enforcement organizations to be transparent, successful, and to build partnerships. Twitter, Facebook, My Space, and You Tube are how people communicate today and for police departments, they are modern ways of building community partnerships.

At the Sacramento Police Department we are using these social media forums to share and disseminate public safety information, breaking news, funny crook stories, community events, and even as investigative tools. Our organization has received positive feedback about the use of social media.

Information is power and by providing information, we are empowering the community to be more active in the common goal of public safety. For Law Enforcement, it is not a matter of whether you will utilize social media but when.

Sergeant Norm Leong is the Public Information Officer at the Sacramento Police Department. Sac PD Chief Rick Braziel will take part in a panel discussion at the CPOA Symposium on Tuesday, May25th. The panel, “Social Media: What Is It and Who Is Using it?” will also include Chief John Neu of Torrance PD and Assistant Chief Jason Benites of Oxnard, PD. Lauri Stevens will moderate.

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