German police use Facebook to help solve crimes

Who said Facebook was only good for wasting time? According to the latest reports, it looks like the social network is also aiding the police when it comes to solving crimes in the country of Germany. Six months ago, the Hanover police force set up a Facebook account with appeals to the public to provide any helpful information that could aid them with their cases. And as of today, the Hanover police Facebook page has helped the force to solve six cases, including one break-in, one auto theft and the recovering of one missing person.

The Facebook page has allowed the police to reach a different audience that they haven’t been able to reach through the television and newspapers: over 24,000 Facebook “fans” with most of them under the age of 35. And with the vast majority of people involved in violent crimes being young (victims, offenders and witnesses), they’ve managed to hit the right target group. After the success of the Hannover police Facebook account, I think we’re going to start seeing a lot more police Facebook accounts popping up.

George Wong
Categories: Web
Tags: Facebook, germany, police