YouTube Posting Leads to Arrests in Assault
Video images of first degree assaults were posted on YouTube reveals the NY Times today.
Police were tipped off about the footage when interviewing students about a separate incident. The footage shows punching, kicking and the use of a pocketknife against the victim.
It has now been removed from the website.
I’m finding it difficult to decide whether I think this video should have been posted on YouTube…On the one hand, it’s awful as it advocates violence and the use of weaponry. It also exemplifies how corrupt society has become that teenagers are firstly abusing one another, and secondly using mobile phones to record their abuse and then post it online. It’s as if they are proud of what they have accomplished which may in fact influence others to copy their obscene behaviour.
However, as a result of this footage being posted on YouTube the police were able to find the students and arrest them. The fact that this was the second local arrest in the past month linked to YouTube shows two things. One, evidently there is a lot of crime in this area, and two, the people in this district feel it necessary to display their felony online.
Therefore, by teenagers posting such videos on YouTube they are assisting police in finding and arresting them. Now, police will find it easier to locate such criminals. This illustrates how YouTube can actually be seen as an essential source for police when fighting against crime in New York.
What do you think? All comments welcome…
March 10, 2008 at 11:27 am
I believe that youtube needs serious regulation. The site is not controlled enough. Many serious offences could have been stopped had the site been in more control. Every video should be watched before it is allowed to be submitted onto the site, even though this is extremly time consuming it would help stop abusive videos going online and stop young people watching them to copycat the dangerious things such as joy riding videos that are put out there.
March 10, 2008 at 1:56 pm
What we have on YouTube at the moment “Do-It-Yourself, Self-Confessed Crimewatch” where the individuals involved are bragging about their crimes which could and should lead to the police getting involved. They are also highlighting their stupidity by posting incriminating footage in the first place.
I suppose in a perverse way this could be seen as a YouTube ‘triumph’ as, although the video footage must have been horrendous, at least the individuals involved were reprimanded and made to pay for their crimes.
YouTube warrants it’s own Cyber Policing with representatives from each Country should watch videos to catch the criminals involved.
March 10, 2008 at 11:56 pm
I agree.
It’s true to say that however heinous and disturbing this video is, it in fact helped police find and arrest criminals.