Philadelphia’s enhanced teen curfew ends next week. Between heavy rain and Hurricane Irene, the targeted enforcement areas have been quiet deserted the last two weekends.
I am doing research for a media project focusing on the criminalization of black youth and online community policing. Like me, you may not be familiar with the International Association of Chiefs of Police Center for Social Media. The Center “serves as a clearinghouse of information and no-cost resources to help law enforcement personnel develop or enhance their agency’s use of social media and integrate Web 2.0 tools into agency operations.”
At a recent community forum on youth violence and flash mobs, it was made clear that Philadelphia police officers are “part of the conversation” and monitoring young people on Facebook and Twitter.
The Center provides resources that civilians will find useful, including what not to do on Facebook.
You know that update from a “friend” enticing you to add a “Dislike” app, don’t:
We’ve all seen the Facebook Like button, that little disembodied blue hand giving the thumbs up. And how many times have you wished you could just dislike a piece of content, that unfortunate video or sad status update. You are not alone. But don’t be fooled, Facebook has not developed a Dislike button, no matter what the apps, e-mails, or mass posts may tell you. Online scammers are using this as a way to your information or to send a virus your way.
Read more: Facebook Fact and Fiction
