BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WKEF) — Now more than ever, Beavercreek Police are using the power of social media to ask the public for help in identifying suspects. Many of the suspects police are asking the public to identify are wanted for theft.
Captain Scott Molnar, public information officer for the Beavercreek Police Department, said shoplifting is the most common crime in Beavercreek. Even if the number of thefts is not increasing, he said posting photos of suspects on social media can speed up the investigation process and deter criminals.
“A little bit of embarrassment,” Molnar said. “Yeah, we’re going to take advantage of that a little bit and maybe send a little message: If you come to Beavercreek and commit a crime, we’re going to do everything we can to identify you and hold you accountable.”
The department has seen other local law enforcement agencies use this tool and it saves time.
“They’ve been very successful and we’ve had the same success,” Molnar said. “I would say the typical turnaround time is less than a week, maybe two weeks at most, before we get a decent tip. When we get a tip, it’s usually pretty quick.”
Molnar explained why it is so important right now to enlist the help of the community and save investigation time.
“Like most police departments in the area and across the country, we are short-staffed, so we try to use every tool we have to solve crimes,” Molnar said. “We have an equal number of cases to investigate, both misdemeanors and felonies. Often times, the felony cases are handled by the detectives, and we have a limited number of detectives to draw on the resources of the patrol division.”
He said thefts are not increasing, but shoplifting is very common around Fairfield Commons and The Greene, in part because both are close to the highway, making it easy for criminals to get away quickly.
Some shoppers expressed their opinions on the Beavercreek Police Department’s new tactics.
“I think it’s an easy way to help them find a suspect, so I think it’s a good idea,” said Zaria, a Fairfield Commons customer.
“I think social media can help because it’s basically global and everyone is on social media,” said Mari Upshaw, another Fairfield Commons client.
On Wednesday, August 21, the department posted on Facebook a recent post that contained false information that was circulating on social media. Someone in the community claimed there had been a kidnapping, which was proven to be false after the department’s investigation.
The agency used the incident to remind the public that while social media is a great tool, it should not replace direct communication with law enforcement when reporting an incident.
