Facebook Helps Bust another Burglar

Technology does solve crimes, and at the same time it can also bust burglars – even without trying. We know that police are using Facebook to circulate photos of crime suspects, and that works remarkably well: in one instance, photos circulated by police were ID’d in only hours, and a perp was put behind bars. We’ve also seen burglars be incomprehensibly foolish when it comes to using social media – such as when a burglar in DC posted a picture of himself on a victim’s Facebook account. Hard to believe, really! Today’s story comes to us from NBC 10 in Providence, Rhode Island – although the actual events unfolded in Mississippi.

Today's Stupid Criminal is a Facebook fan and that's what did him in. Police in Mississippi say 30 year old Jason Andrew Smith was robbing a truck rental service when he noticed the office computers were left on. Smith apparently decided to relax a little, and check his Facebook account before leaving the building.

Criminals Are Not Smart People

Later Smith apparently thought he had better go back and steal that computer, in case his login showed up anywhere, and that's when he was arrested. It's not clear whether Smith ever posted a “Status” update on Facebook but police say Smith did skip his Twitter account!

As I’ve said before – it would be difficult to make up most of these stories. Then again, if these burglars really were that intelligent, they probably would not be burglars in the first place. The fact that they fall prey to their own use of technology is indicative of that fact. The World is Getting Smaller It’s also interesting to observe the intersection of home security technology and social media: both are platforms that have experienced tremendous growth and development in recent years. On the social media side, Facebook alone is a remarkable story, to say nothing of blogs, Twitter and the host of other applications enabling us to get in touch, stay in touch, and share news, photos, opinions, and more – especially in an increasingly mobile environment. On the home security side, the most advanced companies offer remote control and connectivity on an unprecedented scale: apps now exist that allow to arm or disarm your alarm system, receive text or email alerts on events or conditions in your home, check your home wireless cameras (or receive motion-activated clips from those cameras), and even control locks, lights, and thermostats. In other words, it’s not just home security any more, but a suite of services that increases your peace of mind and makes your life easier. Of course, the best deterrent to burglary is a monitored home alarm system – especially one with safer cellular monitoring and smarter interactive features. As the leader in wireless home security, FrontPoint specializes in the best protection: that’s why we’re the #1 ranked alarm company in the US. Safer, smarter, simpler, more affordable, and virtually impossible to defeat: and when the burglars defeat themselves, that’s even better!