Cops Use Facebook To Bust Post-Prom Party

N.J. Police Infiltrate Social Networking Site, Learned Teens Planned To Provide Booze And Pot

(AP)  Police in northern New Jersey infiltrated Facebook to learn that students were planning to bring alcohol and drugs to an after-prom party.

Police created fake identities to enter the social networking site and found what Fair Lawn High School students were going.

Officers stopped the caravan a few miles from the high school and arrested four 17-year-old boys who officers say were carrying marijuana, scales and baggies commonly used to package the drug.

School Superintendent Bruce Watson says the district doesn't check Facebook on a regular basis unless there's a reason. Watson says the district generally leaves Internet patrolling to police.

Police Sgt. Derek Bastinck says teenagers are cavalier about accepting people into their network of friends.

[ray-arvada-]

This was just successful social engineering. It is no different than a 40 year old cop, posing to be a drug dealer to make a bust where those being busted are 17 year old high school students. I think the article says it all. The teens were too cavalier about accepting friends into their social network. "Hmm... let me see. I don't know you, but awwww what the hell, I'll show all my friends how many friends I have. Sure, I'll be your friend". The article is wrong is saying the cops infiltrated facebook. That would mean they accessed facebooks database. Instead it should read they infiltrated social network on facebook.

[luke_4u]

I get a big kick out of it, on almost every subject somebody has to bring politics into it, and maybe even bash Bush & Cheney. Oh yeah, and religion too. What's up with that ? Kids do stupid things, they always have and probably always will. You can't put an old head on young shoulders. It has nothing to do with who the President is or was, kids are often just plain stupid. Hopefully they will grow out of it, although some never do.

[endurorob]

This is rediculous. Don't cops have bigger fish to fry? What's next, monitoring these kids text messages?
Posted by gravyboat45 at 8:59 AM : May 16, 2009


Teens make up only 6% of licensed drivers but account for 20% of alcohol related crashes. I think it a good idea to ratchet up the prevention rather than chastize the cops for trying to do soemthing about it. And if you don't think lives of teenagers and their potential victims are big fish then you have a priorities problem.

[ToolMangler1]

Yea, crime prevention is just stupid. We need to wait until 10 year olds get raped or a car full of stoned and drunk teenagers wrecks and either kills or cripples thos inside before any action is taken.
Posted by endurorob at 4:32 PM : May 15, 2009



Good point, but ancient history. They took morals out of school and dumped the problem in the hands of 'Kids having kids' parents. With the ACLU in control of deciding what is moral and upright the kids are being taught "If it feels good, do it".....

[gravyboat45]

High School kids, with alcohol and drugs, going to a party after prom?

AHHHHHHHHHH!

This is rediculous. Don't cops have bigger fish to fry? What's next, monitoring these kids text messages?

[andie52]

perhaps parents should keep a better eye on their kids and what these teens do and talk about online; aside from that it only means a few less of those teens will becoming home in a body bag.

[endurorob]

I am NOT defending pervert Baptist pedos - I am criticising Republican 'family-Values' liars - - the 'Police' - - who use underhanded, illegal tactics to net "perpetrators" who are talked into perversion by the cops themselves.
Posted by JackSteen12 at 2:56 PM : May 15, 2009

Yea, crime prevention is just stupid. We need to wait until 10 year olds get raped or a car full of stoned and drunk teenagers wrecks and either kills or cripples thos inside before any action is taken.

[Hal9King]

Is this supposed to be a 'surprise'? Why they needed the internet to do this is amazingly -- STUPID. Just follow any car after the prom with more than 2 boys in it.

[whatsup49]

bobnjersey, i'm in favor of new technology that helps keep me and my family safe. if that means cops using the internet to break up a teen-age drinking and drugging party before it happens, so be it. i've lost way to many friends to the horrors of impaired drivers, so i'm gonna support anything that helps stop it from continuing. i worry about what my new neighbors are doing with so many cars coming and going from their house at all hours, and the fact that she has installed motion detection lights, as well as cameras around the outside of her house. and then there's that funny ( and not as in ha ha funny) odor that comes from her house . . . i have nothing to hide. speaking in generalities, sometimes the ones who protest the loudest have the mostest to hide.

[xxmorosxx]

That's the dumbest thing i ever heard in my life. By law police do NOT have to identify themselves as police officers if they are trying to do undercover work. I mean, if they were required BY LAW to identify upon questioning no one would ever be busted for drugs by an undercover officer. People always ask "You a cop?" and they always respond "no" because courts have ruled that police don't have to be honest all the time. In fact, during interviews police can LIE. They can tell a suspect that their co-conspirator has turned states evidence. They can say "We've positively matched your DNA to DNA at the scene" and other things. Entrapment would be falsifying the evidence.

But, that's beside the point... I think it seems kind of less important to bust a high school after prom party than to bust pedophiles. But, if that's this agencies priority, cool. Glad they did it.

[bigmo47]

The police feel too free online to hide their identities - even when asked if they're police. I understand that they have caught many, many pedophiles this way - but when asked in person if they are cops they MUST (by law) reveal that they are or it's considered entrapment. Online, they don't.
Posted by jennifer-marie at 12:55 PM : May 15, 2009

---------------------------------------------------

This is a myth, A cop does nothave to identify themselves as a cop if they are working undercover (in person or online). If that were the case, No undercover investigation would be successul and many cops would probably have been killed.

[jennifer-marie]

"Police created fake identities to enter the social networking site"

-----------------------

Hmmm ... I think the very first thing that needs to be done Monday morning is update the entrapment laws. The police feel too free online to hide their identities - even when asked if they're police. I understand that they have caught many, many pedophiles this way - but when asked in person if they are cops they MUST (by law) reveal that they are or it's considered entrapment. Online, they don't.

[rrozsa]

I lost numerous high school classmates (several were killed and at least one permanently brain-damaged and confined to a wheelchair), and just a couple of years ago my son lost three of his friends during his high school years, due to these types of parties. Kids just don't think about consequences under normal situations, let alone when drunk or stoned. I'm in favor of anything that can be done to help prevent these sorts of tragedies. That's it -- off my soapbox now.

[rrozsa]

I hate to be the one to point this out, but every year, the numbers of alcohol traffic fatalities dramatically increases on prom night, due to after-prom parties. Alcohol, combined with experienced drivers, especially when you have several kids in one car, "showing off" or distracted at best, is a terribly dangerous combination. I for one am glad they are cracking down on some of these events. If you don't have a problem with your kids being drunk and/or stoned, at least have them do it at home rather than on the road, in the wee hours of the morning when they are more likely to kill themselves and others.

[dnamj]

Hm. Probably better to avoid announcing criminal behavior (no matter how stupid the laws) on a public forum.

[Hermit1948]

Doesn't law enforcement have anything better to do? Why were they looking at Facebook in the first place? This is disturbing. 1984 disturbing.

[bobnjersey]

[law enforcement today has the technology to assist them in ways that weren't available 10 years ago. i, for one, am glad they busted this party before it happened. i don't want to be on the road with a bunch of boozed up, stoned kids. ]
[Posted by whatsup49 at 9:24 AM : May 15, 2009 ]

law enforcement now have wirelss day/night cameras that they want to place in everyone's home ... just to make sure everyone's compliant w/ the current law.

are you ok with them installing them in all corners of your home ... they're just using the technology that they didn't have 10 years ago ... and nobody wants to live next to someone who may not be completely compliant?

[scoobydob]

briannorwood, billpl-2009, and anyone else who chooses to use degrading terms to describe cops, what will you be calling them when someone breaks into your house, or harms your family, steals your car, etc.? if you're educated, please use that education to choose other words, unless of course, you want everyone to believe you're ignorant.

law enforcement today has the technology to assist them in ways that weren't available 10 years ago. i, for one, am glad they busted this party before it happened. i don't want to be on the road with a bunch of boozed up, stoned kids.
Posted by whatsup49 at 9:24 AM : May 15, 2009

Yeah you don't want to run into them it's hard enough to deal with when drunk and stoned on your scripts already!

[DaVicar5]

Kidz iz so stoopid nowadays.

[whatsup49]

briannorwood, billpl-2009, and anyone else who chooses to use degrading terms to describe cops, what will you be calling them when someone breaks into your house, or harms your family, steals your car, etc.? if you're educated, please use that education to choose other words, unless of course, you want everyone to believe you're ignorant.

law enforcement today has the technology to assist them in ways that weren't available 10 years ago. i, for one, am glad they busted this party before it happened. i don't want to be on the road with a bunch of boozed up, stoned kids.