As a law enforcement officer, it’s important to understand how social media works, how the general public uses it, and some of the dangers involved in some of the most popular social media features. In today’s “total transparency” world, it is expected that many police officers and public officials will have a presence in social media, too, so it’s even more critical to understand how these platforms work.
By Leischen Stelter
Today wraps up the final day of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International conference in Minneapolis, Minn. Read about the Department of Homeland Security’s annoucement at this conference that could change the way first responders communicate.
By Jamie Smith, Esq. Special to InHomelandsecurity.com Cyberattacks are initiated by a wide variety of groups including criminal gangs,…
By Robin L. Thompson, DM
The many political games and power plays occurring throughout the world on a daily basis are not always as they appear. Members of the intelligence community (IC) must proactively seek out clues and dig deeper to fully comprehend what is really happening behind the scenes.
On Oct. 1, 2011 more than 700 people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct during an Occupy Wall Street march. One of those arrested was Malcom Harris, who used Twitter to share information about the events of that day. In early July, a New York judge ruled that Twitter must turn over Harris’s tweets in compliance with a request from the Manhattan District Attorney, who claims that the tweets will reveal the truth of what happened that day. What implications does this ruling have for law enforcement, prosecutors and defendants?
By Kerry Givens
The 2008 U.S National Security Strategy outlines the U.S objective to strengthen alliances and build new partnerships to defeat global terrorism and prevent attacks against us, our allies, and our friends; prevent our enemies from threatening us, our allies, and our friends with weapons of mass destruction (WMD); work with others to defuse regional conflicts, including conflict intervention; and transform national security institutions to face the challenges of the 21st century(2008 National Defense Strategy).
By James McLaughlin
In the last several years, social networking has become an integral part of our lives, both professionally and socially. There have been many privacy concerns with social media including recent settlements with social media giants such as Facebook and Google.
By James Deater
Recently the United States Supreme Court ruled that the use of GPS tracking devices to track the whereabouts of a suspected criminal is considered a search. The results of this ruling now requires police to obtain search warrants and/or court orders in order to use these devices. This has had a major impact on those police agencies and investigative units who rely on GPS technology to track suspected criminals engaged in illegal activities.
By Timothy Hardiman
Like most other organizations, police agencies are exploring the various uses, opportunities and dangers associated with social media. One aspect of social media that is of interest to law enforcement is using it as a tool while conducting investigations or developing intelligence. Criminals will post a surprising amount of useful and even incriminating information online.