Violent Domestic Extremism and the Role of Social Media within Law Enforcement

摘要

In closing, law enforcement leaders must realize that they are operating in a world that not only utilizes, but requires a social media presence. Criminally subversive groups and extremist individuals are no longer solely meeting at a centralized location at a specific time to indoctrinate new adherents or discuss and plan acts of violence. Social media has provided a fast and effective way for extremists to disseminate their messages to a larger group of like-minded individuals. While extremist rhetoric is nothing new in law enforcement circles, it is operationally imperative that law enforcement leaders embrace the existence of social media platforms and understand how they are used by extremists as a vehicle to deliver their subversive messages. Law enforcement has a duty and responsibility to monitor these social media sites in hope of identifying planned criminal acts or indicators of future violent behavior.