Police are getting involved with social media. They have the ability to post pictures from a surveillance camera online, along with any information regarding a crime. This gives the public the opportunity to help the police identify these people. Likewise, the public can take to social media in a similar way, which is what one Austin, Texas woman did to find a hit and run driver who ran into her car.
You wouldn't expect to step outside and see parts of your car's bumper around the street. Similarly, you wouldn't think somebody would run into your car. Unfortunately, that was the sight for Nicole Barnes last week. A hit-and-run driver slammed into Barnes's Honda SUV. The SUV was pushed onto the curve and into another vehicle.
Barnes called police, but they were only able to take a crash report. Not satisfied with that, she did some investigating on her own. She found parts of the bumper and an emblem that was on the front of the car. Next, she went to Reddit and posted a plea. In less than five hours, another Reddit user posted pictures of a land rover that matched Barnes's description. The land rover was not even two miles away from Barnes.
Even with the evidence, police were not able to determine if the owner of the land rover was driving at the time of the accident. Therefore, no arrests were able to be made. However, she did say she left a note letting the land rover owner know she would sue.
I think social media is becoming a helping tool for police and the public. With a description of an incident and picture of possible suspects, it is possible for tips to come in to help close a case. It is easier to reach a wide number of people through social media.
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