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Social media can help combat crime: American police expert

Social Media apps in a phone
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An American policing expert, Sean Michael Smoot, says social media can play an important role in combating crime. He was one of the speakers at a seminar held by the eThekwini municipality on how technology can be used to improve the safety and security in Durban.

International experts were invited to share successful crime fighting models. Smoot, who served as police and public safety advisor to former United States (US) president Barack Obama, shared many strategies that have been successfully executed in the US.

He explained how social media helped the authorities to swiftly arrest suspects after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

“One of the largest cities in the US went on voluntary lock-down. By and large, everyone complied and the number one form of communication was Twitter. Social media played a huge role in identifying and capturing the terrorist who committed the bombing.

“All of the people who were at the marathon who had cell phones took videos and pictures. All of that information was consumed and sent. Within 48 hours, we had pictures of the suspects, we knew who they were. The main tip that led to the capture of the suspects came from social media,” explains Smoot.

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