SGV Tribune posted an article on how a missing person search was established by private citizens (not police) using Facebook. A young man named Vincent Giovanazzi went missing and unfortunately he ended his life before he could be located. A family friend of Giovanazzi’s parents set up a missing person Facebook page for Vincent. The Facebook page popularity caught on and a large number of people (200+) turned out to look for Vincent Giovanazzi. The search was successful and Vincent Giovanazzi’s body was recovered. Subsequently, the Facebook page for Vincent Giovanazzi was turned into a memorial page with information about the young man’s memorial service and funeral. Why didn’t police create the missing person Facebook page?
Police applauded the use of a Facebook page as a missing person tool, but they also commented that pages like this could get out of control if used in an attempt to solve criminal cases. I am not sure I agree with Glendora Police Department, Lt. Tim Staab’s statement regarding the use of Facebook pages by citizens to solve crimes. If police are not going to use these tools then citizens should and have the right of free speech to do so. I am not encouraging citizens to hinder investigations, but getting the word out to as many people as possible usually solves crimes faster than waiting for a lead. Back to the topic of using Facebook as a missing person tool. What a fabulous idea, specifically in this case where the victim was a younger individual.
Social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube have not been tapped to their potential as tools to help in missing person/criminal cases. Take for example the ability to leverage these social media giants in missing person cases, criminal cases, and as a possible location to develop criminal leads for investigations. Again, social media and law enforcement are two separate worlds that are on a collision course called “cultural communication change.” There should be a huge takeaway in this unfortunate incident in the age of the victim and that social media was a key factor in recovering the victim’s body.
I anticipate the Glendora Police Department may be reevaluating the need to get involved in social media. A check of their website showed no involvement in social media, but maybe this incident will spur them to at least consider the usefulness of social media as law enrforcement tools. I have a feeling we will be seeing “missing person” pages and “crime help plea” pages on Facebook in the future. As social media continues to change how people communicate, so will it change how process is handled in missing person cases, criminal cases, etc. Again, social media is not the end all be all, but it is here and deserves respect as a massive form of communication.
**To the family of Vincent Giovanazzi I am sorry for your loss and my prayers go out to you. This article was not written to exploit your son’s death in anyway. This article was written to encourage law enforcement and others to implement social media as a law enforcement tool.**
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Great post, Mike. I think it bears mentioning that Vincent Giovanazzi is not the only person to have a missing person Facbook page made about them. They seem to pop up every once in awhile, just through what I’ve seen with personal friends I have on Facebook. A page like this seems like a great idea and in many cases it has the potential to go viral and attract people who do not even know the missing person.
I agree that this is something that law enforcement agencies should consider, but I wonder if there is a time commitment concern for agencies who don’t do something like this. For a police department to create and maintain multiple pages like this, along with a department Facebook page as well as Twitter and maybe even a blog, takes a bit of time, and tasking a single officer to manage all these information streams might be a little scary for agencies who are not yet ready to jump into the social media pool. Maybe as the idea of a specifically tasked “social media officer” beings to take shape, we’ll be begin to see this use of social media in law enforcement become more prevalent.
Well, that’s the hope at least.
Thank goodness the internet and social media exist! Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to create any awareness for my friend, Lily Aramburo who went missing over 2 years ago. From the start, I literally begged Miami Dade Police to issue a press release. They refused. This is after screwing up big time because no one followed up on the case those crucial “first 48 hours”. But that’s another story. Law enforcement needs to get with the times. I know it may not be that easy now with all the cutbacks but….joining Facebook, Twitter and most networks are FREE. Why not take advantage of these important tools for the benefit of our communities?
James, so true that there have been others using FB for missing person reports, guess you can see now how social media is starting to change our culture and the way we communicate. You did an end around on me bringing us back to the social media police officer position, thanks. Mike
Janet, I am sorry to hear about your friend. I too am glad that folks like you have been involved before me that help me to feel like my voice is necessary to get law enforcement into the conversation of social media. While social media sites are FREE for the most part, there is still a manpower issue, which does cost money. You have that cliche line “you can never find a cop when you need one.” Meaning, it will be awhile before agencies start putting manpower towards social media, but I am confident it will happen. Mike
As with so much else in social media, I think this kind of tactic has to be flexible…. not only for the reasons James lists above, but also because the police may simply not be the BEST people to handle missing-persons pages as a general rule.
1) families are frequently consumed by the fact that their loved one is missing. They need a positive place to put their energy, and should be encouraged to maintain the page.
2) More importantly, they know their loved one far better than the police do. They know habits, likes, dislikes… their loved one is more often than not their passion. To police, finding the person is a job.
If social media is about two-way communication and cooperation, then perhaps the best role for police on Facebook pages is to encourage family maintenance; monitor the page (especially in suspicious-disappearance cases), provide information where they can, and help people understand when they cannot provide information.
In some cases, the family will not have the resources (know-how or time) to commit, and police or perhaps a community nonprofit should take over the reins at that point. I just don’t think it has to/should be strictly a police job or strictly a family thing. True social media inspires cooperation!
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