Nassau County Police Urge Residents To Text Terrorism Suspicions Through App
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- In the wake of recent acts and threats of terror, police on Long Island are telling the public "if you see something, text something."
Nassau County authorities are urging residents to use the Police Department's free Crime Stoppers app to text them if they witness something suspicious.
"If you see somebody with radicalized views that is talking about a terrorist act, talking about blowing something up, we want to know about those," said Thomas Krumpter, acting police commissioner. "If you see something suspicious, please let us know.
"We are asking that you forward that information as quickly as possible. That information will be acted upon in real time," Krumpter told reporters, including WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs.
The department is also attempting to deputize social media users to help in counterterrorism efforts, officials said.
"If you come across what you may consider a social media threat, we are asking you take a screen shot of that and text it to us," County Executive Ed Mangano said.
Police leaders say a recently posted, disturbing threat against the president is a prime example of how residents can get involved, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported.
"Some threats on Facebook, don't assume that we know about that," Krumpter said. "Provide that screen shot. Send that to the tips lines, and give us the opportunity to investigate."
They call the initiative a 2015 social media version of "civil defense," launched by President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II to keep an eye out for possible espionage and sabotage.
Detective Sgt. Patrick Ryder said if police are alerted about people who might have been radicalized they "can intercept tweets, we can set up a geofence, we can filter it through codes, and then we can go into these communities and pull out those that may have extreme views."
"So we can intercept tweets, we can put up a geo-fence, we can filter it through codes, go into these communities and pull out those that may have extreme views." Detective Sgt. Patrick Ryder said.
In the past year, email threats have been aimed at courthouses, malls, railroads and schools on Long Island. Law enforcement deemed them hoaxes.
Lawyers CBS2 spoke with said no one has a right to post terrorist threats, so exposing them is not an infringement on freedom of speech.
All texted tips are kept confidential.
