INDIANAPOLIS --
From Twitter and Facebook to even the most obscure blogs, Indianapolis police are mining social media sites for nuggets of intelligence that might provide insight into possible terrorist threats and other crimes.
The department's efforts picked up during the Super Bowl, but police regularly use social media to broadcast traffic alerts and crime information, along with checking for information about investigations in progress, RTV6's Jack Rinehart reported.
"A homicide or any other big investigation, (detectives) monitor Facebook and other social media sites to get clues and tips on their cases," Indianapolis police spokesman Officer Anthony Schneider.
Indianapolis Public Safety Director Frank Straub said he knows the power of social media first-hand.
"I had an experience that hit close to home. My daughter was putting stuff out there on Facebook, and an ex-boyfriend picked up on it, and it became somewhat of a problem," he said.
But police know that when they're looking for clues in a case, information posted on social media sites can be invaluable.
"There's a treasure trove of information there," Straub said. "I think, sometimes, people don't think a lot about what they're putting out there."
IMPD Mines Valuable Intelligence From Social Media
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