[036] Patrolling the cyberspace beat on ‘MTSU On the Record’

MURFREESBORO — The ways law enforcement agencies are using social media is the focus of the next edition of the “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Lee Wade, an assistant professor of criminal justice, will air from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, and from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org).

With an MTSU colleague, Dr. Joshua Harris, Wade conducted a study that he presented at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ annual meeting in Philadelphia in February 2014.

The study examined two city police departments in Georgia, a special police unit in a Tennessee municipality and a county sheriff’s department in Tennessee.

The number of posts, likes, shares and comments on each agency’s Facebook page and the types of information posted were documented.

“They use it for information, mainly for public information, warning people; they use it for promotion of their own department; and also they use it for what we call ‘shaming’ in criminology, meaning … the number of arrests, the person who was arrested, the name, the charge,” Wade said.

Wade and Harris also looked at how one particular agency used surveillance videos posted on Facebook to help investigations.

To listen to previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to www.mtsunews.com/ontherecord/.

For more information, contact Gina Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.