Busted!
Criminal acts caught on video have found a home on YouTube.
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Criminals are getting shot more often these days … by cameras. Eyes are everywhere, from videophones to security monitors, and YouTube has become a digital bulletin board for law enforcement.
Here are a few cases cracked via video-sharing:
- In England, several teens were caught stealing a man’s eyeglasses. Thanks to YouTube, police studied the crime and brought the spec-snatchers to justice.
- Massachusetts police credit YouTube with helping them identify two men later arrested for allegedly using stolen credit cards.
- Bullying posted online led to the arrest of four Long Island teens, three for attacking a 13-year-old girl and the fourth for videotaping the fight instead of helping the victim.
- After a YouTube clip of a stabbing garnered attention as far away as Singapore, a Canadian man feeling the heat turned himself in.
- Someone uploaded footage of rioting at the University of Massachusetts, which led to the arrests of people seen starting fires, breaking windows and throwing chunks of concrete at officers.
The original version of this article appeared in the June 2007 issue of Plugged In Magazine. Stay on top of the latest entertainment reviews, youth trends and cultural analysis with your own subscription.