Catching the burglar who's targeting your neighborhood or a killer on the loose could be as close as your smart phone or computer.
Police, sheriff and fire departments are using Twitter and Facebook to reach out to the citizens they serve.
And it's lead to some surprising results.
The old fashioned 'wanted' poster has a 21st century look. Instead of tacked to the wall of the post office or nailed to a tree, it's on your computer and smart phone, via Facebook and Twitter.
"It's just almost to where we put it out there and we kind of wait for the results," said Sgt. Mark Hudson with the Fresno Police Department.
Sgt. Hudson is head of investigations in Southeast Fresno.
He started using Facebook about two years ago to track down suspects. It's effectiveness has surprised him.
For example, on January 14th, Hudson posted a picture on Facebook of a burglary suspect who stole a drier from an apartment complex.
"We posted his still picture on our Facebook page and within 30 minutes we were able to get somebody that saw the picture calling into Crime Stoppers and identifying the suspect," Hudson said.
33-year-old Alex Cruz was arrested the next day.
Police departments like Facebook. And so do the criminals.
Fresno police posted a picture of a car theft suspect last spring. They got a Crime Stoppers tip that their suspected car thief was 27-year-old Felipe Medina, where he could be found. And the tipster passed along something else.
"And then we were told by that person that he actually went on to our Facebook page and liked the photo that we posted," Hudson said.
Fresno doesn't track the number of crimes solved with the help of social media. But Clovis police do.
"Last year was about a dozen cases. And this year's been three or four so far," Ty Wood with Clovis Police said.
Wood manages Facebook and Twitter for Clovis police.
A post on the department's Facebook and Twitter accounts in December helped solve a mail theft.
A woman was caught on security video stealing a package from a porch. The package contained a necklace purchased as a Christmas gift.
"Her daughter who was in the photo saw herself on Facebook and the news. And because she was getting flack from school, talked her mother into giving the necklace back," Wood said.
Facebook and Twitter posts are doing more than solving crimes.
They're also getting information out that could protect you or steer you away from harm.
"I think the biggest thing we try to do is get the word out of what's going on" said Koby Johns with the Fresno Fire Department.
The Fresno Fire Department has been active on Facebook and Twitter for the last year and a half.
They use social media to inform the public when there's a major incident, like the gas leak that shut down part of Shaw Avenue for twelve hours last March.
"We're able to do two things very quickly: we're able to let people know those areas are being evacuated to help people find an alternate route to and from work," Johns said.
From his iPhone Koby Johns was able to tweet updates and pictures from the scene of the gas leak.
"Social media is a great avenue for us to be able to do that and reassure the public this is under control, and it's just going to take some time," Johns said.
The Fresno fire department has a YouTube account. They post videos, some of which are taken by fire fighters on their personal helmet cameras. So you can see first-hand the power of a marijuana honey oil explosion or the devastation of a house fire.
"When you see it first-hand and you see somebody's house burn down and the traumatic event that it is, it makes you think twice about neglecting your smoke detector or not having an escape plan," Johns said.
Fire fighters use the videos for training, to find areas where they can improve.
The Fresno fire fighters union has their own Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts.
"The whole idea at the start was to let the public know what we do, the calls we run," said Gabriel Lopez, who manages the accounts.
They post videos, pictures, and information on the fires they're fighting and accidents they're called to. They also send out alerts on product recalls, because fire fighters will be the ones who respond if a fire is started or a child is injured.
"So those things are definitely worth it, because we're here to protect our citizens when we're on a call and even when we're not on a call," Lopez said.
Expect to see more of what our first responders are doing, another eyewitness view, on your cell phone and computer.
Departments are looking for new ways to connect with you and get information out quickly.
You can follow the departments on their social media sites listed below.
Fresno Police Department:
Facebook: Fresno Police Department
Twitter: @FresnoPolice
Clovis Police Department:
Facebook: Clovis Police Department, California
Twitter: @ClovisPolice_CA
Fresno Fire Department:
Twitter: @FresnoFire
YouTube: FresnoFireDepartment
Flickr:Fresno Fire
Fresno Firefighters Union:
Twitter: @Local753
Facebook: Fresno City Firefighters - Local 753
YouTube: Fresno Firefighters
Police, sheriff and fire departments are using Twitter and Facebook to reach out to the citizens they serve.
And it's lead to some surprising results.
The old fashioned 'wanted' poster has a 21st century look. Instead of tacked to the wall of the post office or nailed to a tree, it's on your computer and smart phone, via Facebook and Twitter.
"It's just almost to where we put it out there and we kind of wait for the results," said Sgt. Mark Hudson with the Fresno Police Department.
Sgt. Hudson is head of investigations in Southeast Fresno.
He started using Facebook about two years ago to track down suspects. It's effectiveness has surprised him.
For example, on January 14th, Hudson posted a picture on Facebook of a burglary suspect who stole a drier from an apartment complex.
"We posted his still picture on our Facebook page and within 30 minutes we were able to get somebody that saw the picture calling into Crime Stoppers and identifying the suspect," Hudson said.
33-year-old Alex Cruz was arrested the next day.
Police departments like Facebook. And so do the criminals.
Fresno police posted a picture of a car theft suspect last spring. They got a Crime Stoppers tip that their suspected car thief was 27-year-old Felipe Medina, where he could be found. And the tipster passed along something else.
"And then we were told by that person that he actually went on to our Facebook page and liked the photo that we posted," Hudson said.
Fresno doesn't track the number of crimes solved with the help of social media. But Clovis police do.
"Last year was about a dozen cases. And this year's been three or four so far," Ty Wood with Clovis Police said.
Wood manages Facebook and Twitter for Clovis police.
A post on the department's Facebook and Twitter accounts in December helped solve a mail theft.
A woman was caught on security video stealing a package from a porch. The package contained a necklace purchased as a Christmas gift.
"Her daughter who was in the photo saw herself on Facebook and the news. And because she was getting flack from school, talked her mother into giving the necklace back," Wood said.
Facebook and Twitter posts are doing more than solving crimes.
They're also getting information out that could protect you or steer you away from harm.
"I think the biggest thing we try to do is get the word out of what's going on" said Koby Johns with the Fresno Fire Department.
The Fresno Fire Department has been active on Facebook and Twitter for the last year and a half.
They use social media to inform the public when there's a major incident, like the gas leak that shut down part of Shaw Avenue for twelve hours last March.
"We're able to do two things very quickly: we're able to let people know those areas are being evacuated to help people find an alternate route to and from work," Johns said.
From his iPhone Koby Johns was able to tweet updates and pictures from the scene of the gas leak.
"Social media is a great avenue for us to be able to do that and reassure the public this is under control, and it's just going to take some time," Johns said.
The Fresno fire department has a YouTube account. They post videos, some of which are taken by fire fighters on their personal helmet cameras. So you can see first-hand the power of a marijuana honey oil explosion or the devastation of a house fire.
"When you see it first-hand and you see somebody's house burn down and the traumatic event that it is, it makes you think twice about neglecting your smoke detector or not having an escape plan," Johns said.
Fire fighters use the videos for training, to find areas where they can improve.
The Fresno fire fighters union has their own Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts.
"The whole idea at the start was to let the public know what we do, the calls we run," said Gabriel Lopez, who manages the accounts.
They post videos, pictures, and information on the fires they're fighting and accidents they're called to. They also send out alerts on product recalls, because fire fighters will be the ones who respond if a fire is started or a child is injured.
"So those things are definitely worth it, because we're here to protect our citizens when we're on a call and even when we're not on a call," Lopez said.
Expect to see more of what our first responders are doing, another eyewitness view, on your cell phone and computer.
Departments are looking for new ways to connect with you and get information out quickly.
You can follow the departments on their social media sites listed below.
Fresno Police Department:
Facebook: Fresno Police Department
Twitter: @FresnoPolice
Clovis Police Department:
Facebook: Clovis Police Department, California
Twitter: @ClovisPolice_CA
Fresno Fire Department:
Twitter: @FresnoFire
YouTube: FresnoFireDepartment
Flickr:Fresno Fire
Fresno Firefighters Union:
Twitter: @Local753
Facebook: Fresno City Firefighters - Local 753
YouTube: Fresno Firefighters