14 DAY TRIAL // YouTube is more than a popular video service and this statement is demonstrated periodically by new and interesting cases. As you know, YouTube allows users to upload, share and comment videos with other members of the community. Sometimes, it is more than a video service, allowing authorities to arrest criminals, fight against diseases or find useful information. This time, YouTube is the good guy after the product helped the police arrest two men recorded while stealing credit cards.
The procedure was simple: Patrolman Brian Johnson of the Franklin, Mass., Police Department, posted a video from a surveillance camera on YouTube showing two men that were stealing credit cards. Because he didn't manage to identify the two suspects, he decided to upload the video on YouTube and allow other users to help solve the case. He also sent the video link to more than 300 users to assure the movie will become popular and identified them about the case. It seems like the two suspects were arrested after numerous users sent information that helped identify them while several viewers tried to spread the video on the Internet.
"A handful of police departments have utilized YouTube as a law enforcement tool, putting up video of suspects and eliciting help from the Internet-using public in identifying them. Experts say the idea has promise, but it's too soon to tell whether it will have staying power amid constantly evolving technologies and the difficulty of making a video stand out among millions. Some also see a risk of fruitless tips, misidentifications or privacy problems. In Johnson's case, the suspects were ultimately arrested. Though the video generated publicity and thousands of viewings online, Johnson is quick to credit the success to old-fashioned police work rather than the Web site," Kazinform reported.
This is not the first time when YouTube helps authorities and other persons solve important cases or ask for information. Recently, a woman that fights against cancer uploaded a video to publish her case and to provide more details about the treatment and the disease.