Facebook Helps Cops Catch Perpetrators

If you didn’t already know to be discrete about what you make public on Facebook (News - Alert), you will now. A story in last Wednesday's New York Times stated that when investigating a crime, Facebook and Twitter are often the first places the cops look.

For example, when 18-year-old Kayla Henriques stabbed 22-year-old Kamisha Richards in the chest over $20, NYC police just had to turn on their computers to find a motive. There in a message string on Facebook, they found all the evidence they needed.

Another example, the Times noted is when in January 2009, a bank robber named  Joseph Wade Northington posted a status on Facebook stating, "One in the head still ain't dead!!!!!! On tha run for robbin a bank Love all of yall." Worthington was subsequently arrested nine days later, and charged with robbing the Security Federal Bank in North August, S.C.

Facebook is full of an overload of information where anyone with just your first and last name can find out extremely personal information about your daily activities, including what you might have eaten for dinner the night before.

Your Facebook, Twitter-, and MySpace (News - Alert) posts can be used to determine whether you will qualify for alimony in a divorce, are a fit parent, a drug user, or a potential good employee. More and more employers, colleges,—and really any nosy person can look at your social network posts to get a clear picture of the type of person you are. What kind of message do you want to give to the world?