Social Media's Impact on Crime and Injustice

In a recent post, I asked whether keeping a running Twitter feed of arrests that occur was a good idea for one town's public safety. The post sparked some lively comments, including from those concerned that publicizing arrests punishes people who should be presumed innocent -- a position I certainly understand. After all, Twitter could become a nonstop new TV news, sensationalizing crime and convicting people in the court of public opinion.

But open data is critical to fighting unjust arrests and holding government accountable. And if we want transparency, we have to accept that openness cuts both ways.

Some put too much faith in the power of openness, wondering if Twitter and other social media tools might actually act as a crime deterrent. For example, Lauri Stevens wrote recently at ConnectedCOPS.net that social media "will have a direct affect on lowering crime" because criminal will realize that "the jig is up" and will "smarten up."

But that's a thin argument.

Public shaming may work to deter some crimes, like solicitation of prostitution, but I doubt Twitter will have any impact on people driving under the influence or violent crime. People committing these crimes aren't planning to get caught, and they're hardly doing a cost-benefit analysis before getting behind the wheel or punching someone in the face. The threat of Twitter just doesn't play into the equation.

Still, though, there are some tangible ways social media can make us safer and help us fight injustice. Online social tools help us build stronger communities and give us the opportunity to pool resources to support improved law enforcement where it’s necessary, and to fight injustice wherever it pops up. These transformations will rely on law enforcement agencies and courts to provide open, accessible data online.

For example, web and social media tools have been critical in raising awareness in wrongful conviction cases like the West Memphis 3 (though even a worldwide movement to free these three defendants has yet to produce results). Campaigns to hold police departments and prosecutors accountable for abuses of power have also thrived on the web. YouTube is a repository of police brutality videos, and law enforcement agencies are forced to swiftly respond to allegations, now that web-based videos documenting transgressions can spread like lightning.

In Oakland, CA, it's doubtful that the Oscar Grant case would have been taken as seriously without the use of social tools that amplified advocates’ calls for justice. The San Jose police department has also recognized the power of such media, and is supporting wearable cameras for its officers, following several highly public incidents involving the officer use of force.

Social media and new communications technologies will undoubtedly help us fight injustice in the long term. Open records and real-time data may be a double-edged sword, but sunlight is preferable to secrecy.