The Boca Raton, Florida, Police Services Department (BRPD) was one of the first law enforcement departments in the country to embrace social media. It happened in 2007, when this affluent oceanfront city fell into the national spotlight because of a double homicide of a mother and her daughter at an upscale mall. The department turned to one of the only widespread social networking sites at the time, Myspace, to post information and ask for anonymous leads in the case. This was considered a unique way for a law enforcement organization to investigate a crime and look for leads. In 2011, the BRPD is still on the cutting edge of social media. With Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs, the agency uses all means available via technology, including the introduction of Quick Response (QR) codes as one of the latest electronic tools.

Why use this technology?