Police use social media to monitor gang violence
Western Cape police on Tuesday said they were watching social media platforms to monitor the activities of gang members.
During a briefing by the province’s police commissioner Khombinkosi Jula on a flare up in gang violence on the Cape Flats, Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Vearey said police were aware of gangs announcing hits on social media.
Sites such as Twitter and community chat forum Outoilet were popular tools used by alleged gang members
Vearey said that although police monitored these sites and activity thereon, an “evidential standard needed to be maintained” and was one of the challenges presented by social media.
The possibility of convictions assisted by social media was, however, possible, as was illustrated in the case of multiple gang members from Worcester. Evidence included communication between the guilty persons.