https://storify.com/mkramer/how-twitter-tracked-down-the-suspects-from-a-ppd-v

How Twitter May Have Helped Track Down the Suspects from a Philadelphia Police Surveillance Video

On September 16, 2014 the Philadelphia Police released surveillance video of the suspects accused of a hate crime on the 1600 block of Chancellor Street. Within hours, they were possibly IDed by people on Twitter.


The Philadelphia Police released this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD8MglUjA50 on September 16, 2014 and asked for the public's help in identifying the people in the video.





After the video was released, a Twitter user named @GreggyBennett then tweeted out another photo allegedly showing the same suspects at a restaurant.


How did he get the photo?

Greg Bennett ✔ @GreggyBennett
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@radiocolin friend of a friend of a friend saw my tweet to the article w vid - sent me the pic. I wanted to get the word out.


A Twitter user named @FanSince09 retweeted @GreggyBennett's photo and lots of people immediately wrote him to say the restaurant was La Viola

Michael Shepherd @MichaelShep
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@FanSince09 la viola. It's the first picture on their events page. http://laviolaphiladelphia.com/west/events.html …
7:47 PM - 16 Sep 2014


@FanSince09 then turned to Facebook Graph Search to see who had checked into La Viola -- because the picture was originally taken from a Facebook page. After matching the photo from folks who checked into the restaurant, he contacted the police.

FanSince09 @FanSince09
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@RealGlenMacnow found them all at la viola, some of them checked in on FB, compared FB pics
9:26 PM - 16 Sep 2014



The Philadelphia Police responded:
Joseph Murray ✔ @PPDJoeMurray
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S/O to @FanSince09 This is what makes my job easy. Sure, it's up to me to make the arrest but we are all in this together.
8:55 PM - 16 Sep 2014


Though they cautioned:
Joseph Murray ✔ @PPDJoeMurray
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Let's be clear here. No arrests made. Central Detectives have done a ton of work and have a lot more to do. (Not a law & order episode)

Later, 6ABC reporter Kenneth Moton reported that the suspects' lawyers were now in touch with the Philadelphia Police:

Kenneth Moton @KennethMoton
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JUST IN: Lawyers for people in group suspected of CC gay bashing called police to make arrangements. More in a live report at 11pm @6abc

Meanwhile, praise for @FanSince09 rolled in:

Rob Engelsman @rcengelsman
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So @FanSince09 just crowd-sourced the solving of this hate crime in Philly using Twitter and Facebook graph search/b]
9:23 PM - 16 Sep 2014



Colin Weir @radiocolin
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[b]That’s some damn fine police work, @FanSince09

Did I miss where it said what the hate crime was?

Agreed, the video doesn't seem to show any assault...but it says the group of whites made disperraging remarks about the complaitents sexual orientation then attacked them

_________________
GOB: "My God, what is this feeling?"
Michael: "Could it be love?"
GOB: "I know what an erection feels like, Michael. No, it's the opposite. It's... it's like my heart is getting hard."

That's why I put suspects instead of criminals.


Im not even sure what the purported crime is, but they wanted to bring these people in and Twitter helped

Im not sure whether it's a good or bad thing

Could do without internet vigilantes. I'm sure they'll do more harm than good, but when they do get it right, great.

Oddly, the youtube comments section is disabled. You'd think the cops would want to see all the valuable insight there.

_________________
I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

So, basically this is about the same thing as Anonymous being celebrated rather than denigrated for crowd-sourcing information on a 'suspect'.

_________________
Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Yes. Wait, no. What?

_________________
I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

Yeah, I'm really leery (not Larry) of the Internet Police.

Spike Lee did a hell of a job giving out the address of an innocent person. Even if that were the address of the right person, giving out that sort of information and inciting mob action isn't a good thing.

snitches get stitches

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.