Social media is littered with posts about crime.
Facebook even has dedicated community-led groups for sharing information to warn others about local criminals.
Perhaps you’ve joined one.
But Australians are being urged to not only post about crime on social media, but to report it to authorities.
Crime Stoppers Tasmania chair David Daniels said posting to social media provided a false sense of action.
“Now that we’re always online with our phones, it’s easy to turn to social media to express our concern or warn others,” Mr Daniels said.
“But typing isn’t telling, and if that information never reaches police, they cannot act.
“So, while the social media may feel immediate and impactful, it does very little to help police track down the offenders or prevent crime or keep communities safe,” he said.
“The real action means sharing the information appropriately [to Crime Stoppers or local police].”
Crime Stoppers Tasmania created its online tip line in 2017. (Supplied: crimestopperstas.com.au)
Crime Stoppers is a not-for-profit registered charity, separate to police, that relies on donations to operate.
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It is based on a model that started in New Mexico in the United States in the 1970s when a detective ran out of all leads on a brutal murder case.
The detective reportedly arranged for a local television station to show a re-enactment of the murder and invited viewers to call in with information anonymously and offered a cash reward if it led to an arrest.
It started an anonymous ‘tips line’ that became Crime Stoppers and spread around the world.
Police unable to act on social postCan you help?Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000Report anonymously via the Crime Stoppers website
Often, alleged offenders are outed by the community “naming and shaming” them, but if that information is not passed on to authorities through official channels, police are usually unable to investigate.
“We’ve had a man seen stealing tools from the rear of a work ute. Other people all post into a group who he is and where he can be found,” Tasmania Police Commander Jo Stolp said.
“But nobody’s actually told the police about it and so, we’re not able to do anything.”
Recently, Tasmania Police have also seen social media posts about drug dealing near a park.
Secretive nature of Crime Stoppers tip line means reward unclaimed
“You’ve got people on camera from someone’s CCTV coming and going, but without a report either to Crime Stoppers or to police, we can’t follow that up,” Commander Stolp said.
There has also been unreported CCTV footage posted to social media showing a person stealing mail from someone’s home, and someone claiming to have a picture of the suspect’s face.
“While it’s good for people to know there is activity in their area, we like to be sure that it’s actual activity, and that somebody is not necessarily being targeted unnecessarily,” she said.
Posting can lead to ‘vigilante’ response
Posting information about a crime to social media also carried its own risks, police said.
Along with the possibility of spreading misinformation, posts could also incite vigilante responses.
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There was a chance the information or footage being shared was not really a crime at all, or could lead to the wrong person being identified as the culprit.
Defamation lawyer Rowan Lyndon can attest to the impact of vigilante responses.
Mr Lyndon said he was aware of at least one reported case, “where a person who was falsely identified online as a paedophile was physically assaulted”.
There was also the risk of legal action against people who make accusations online that turn out to be false or defamatory, he said.
These can range from paying damages — sometimes amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars — to covering part of the claimant’s legal costs, and even imprisonment.
The 2024 Bondi Junction stabbings is one of the most recent cases to make national headlines.
Within hours of the attack occurring, Benjamin Cohen was falsely named on social media as the assailant who killed six people at the shopping centre.
Five women and one man were killed in the attack. (ABC News: Brendan Esposito)
Photos of Mr Cohen were taken from his social media accounts and circulated by other users along with his name.
The unconfirmed reports were then broadcast by a media outlet.
But while the information turned out to be false, by then the damage had been done.
Mr Cohen later sued the broadcaster for defamation and received an out-of-court settlement.
He also called on the NSW Police to prosecute the social media users who incorrectly identified him.
Why reporting officially matters
Mr Daniels said in all of these cases, the “intent might be right, but the outcome isn’t”.
“If the information stops at social media, then police can’t act. Offenders stay under the radar and communities remain exposed,” he said.
To bring greater attention to this issue, Crime Stoppers has launched a nationwide campaign, Don’t Just Post It, Report It!
The campaign is urging people around Australia who see, hear or suspect criminal or suspicious behaviour to stop leaving vital information in group chats or social media threads, and start reporting it where it truly counts.
Crime Stoppers is a not-for-profit registered charity separate to Tasmania Police and relies on donations to operate. (ABC News)
People have the option of making an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers, directly contacting their local police station, or in an emergency, calling triple-0.
“Crime Stoppers gives people a safe and anonymous way to speak up,” Mr Daniels said.
“You don’t have to give your name or make any formal statement or even go to court. All we ask is that you share what you know, so it can be properly assessed and potentially linked to other reports and acted on by police.
“It’s simple and it helps solve and stop crime.”
David Daniels is the chair of Crimestoppers Tasmania. (Crimestopperstas.com.au)