Most sheriff and police departments use social media to get help solving crimes.
Take Burlington Police, for example. The department uses both Facebook and Twitter to get information and send it out. They also use the page to alert people of criminal arrests and alert drivers of traffic delays.
The Guilford County Sheriff's Office is also good at using social media.Its twitter account regularly posts information about unsolved crimes. Deputies include pictures and ways to help investigators catch criminals.
Greensboro Police use social media in a similar way, but detectives also use it to track down criminals and even evidence of crimes.
"After the arrest is made, we'll go check a Facebook page or a Twitter account or whatever they have to see if he's mentioned anything about the crime he's committed, breaking and entering possession of stolen property," said Greensboro Police Sergeant Terry Brown.
You might be wondering who would commit a crime and then post it on Facebook for everyone to see?
Apparently, a lot of people.
Brown said they learn a lot about a criminal's activities simply by logging onto Facebook. "All of them (use social media), it never fails, they may not have a job but all of them have a social media account. They love to post. Everyone's a star on social media, you don't have to have any talent."
There isn't any Greensboro Police unit dedicated to social media investigations. Instead, everyone in every unit is responsible for using social media to investigate crimes.
A department that's working on using social media in a different way is UNCG Campus police.
The entire UNC system is working on a social media app like Live Safe. The app allows students to send pictures, videos and audio clips of crimes or emergencies.
It also gives students the ability to speak with law enforcement if they're in danger. University Police hope to have similar technology soon.
