Criminals are increasingly using Facebook and MySpace to carry out disputes, commit crimes, and brag of their criminal endeavors.  Police are discovering that many young criminals are woefully unaware that the comments or material they post online might come back to haunt them.

Against student objections, officers on college campuses are increasingly patrolling Facebook and MySpace seeking out clues.  Describes Officer Freddie Rappina, who is based at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax County, "I can't tell you how many fights we've been able to prevent [using social networks]."

As an officer at the second largest school in Virginia, Officer Rappina keeps tabs on trouble within the student body of 4,000 kids via his computer.  He describes, "Let's say two kids are having a spat online.  I can take them in here and talk to them."

He's also been able to track down runaways using information that the students send their friends on Facebook.

The irony of the success he has experienced is that he enjoys no special privileges on Facebook or MySpace, just like other cops.  Barring an active investigation, cops can't view private information on social networks -- they only can see details that people make public.  However, the default settings of social networks expose a wealth of information, which most young users fail to conceal.  Facebook leaves information like photos and discussions open to many internet users, while MySpace’s default settings expose your information to anyone with an internet connection.

The trend of online scouting started with employers and college admissions counselors who began to turn to Facebook, MySpace, and blog sites to scout potential employees or future students. Catching on to this tool, police officers are catching young criminals in confessions of using  drugs, underage sex, and fights.  Loudoun County Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson states, "It's crazy, the things they put on there.  They seem to think they're invisible."

Some, however, take issue with proactive online patrolling by police.  Sarah Steinberg, 18, a senior at Robinson Secondary, explains, "I think it's an invasion of the student's privacy.  It's outside of school, and I just don't think it should be part of the school's job to do that."

Her mother, Judy Ottosen, agrees, stating, "I believe it's a parent's job."

However, police disagree, noting it’s often necessary to pick up the slack for failed parenting.  States Officer Joe Lowery, who is based at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, "Three or four years ago, 20 percent of kids (had Facebook/MySpace profiles).  Now if you ask, they almost all raise their hand.  You get some kids who are gang-involved.  A lot of these kids put it right on their Facebook or their MySpace. And you go to their site and they've got their colors up, they've got their pledges on there, sometimes they're even holding weapons. It can be very disturbing."

Last year, Lowery solved the armed robbery of two Blake students, by matching the description provided by students to images of a suspect on their MySpace pages.  Fairfax County Police similarly were able to nab seven Chantilly area teenagers allegedly trying to recruit Franklin Middle School students to a gang by looking at the students MySpace profiles.

Some kids, however, are supporting the online police patrols.  LeighAnne Baxter, 17, a senior at Robinson, adds, "I think that we all know that [they] can look at our Facebooks, and they do.  If you do put up incriminating pictures, you have to be prepared for the consequences."