Maybe don’t live stream yourself committing crimes?
Earlier this week, two 16-year-old boys in Utah broke into an ice cream truck, stealing four tubs of the sweet stuff and leaving them on friends’ doorsteps as evidence — I mean, presents. They actually might have gotten away with the theft if they hadn’t been spotted committing the crime … on Periscope.
That’s right. A tipster told police that they saw the pair of teens live-streaming their break-in on the app. Even though the witness wants to remain anonymous, they had enough information about when and where the burglary went down for investigators to track them down. The boys were caught, arrested, and are now facing charges of burglary and theft. Wonder how many hearts that video got.
“It was a pretty bizarre case for us,” Lt. Lane Findlay, who works in the Sheriff’s Office, told NBC News. “First time we’ve dealt with a crime that was broadcast over Periscope.” If people are thoughtless enough to live-stream their crimes, then it may not be the last.
Findlay also shared that the verdict is still out on whether or not the two boys ate any of the treats themselves – apparently, neither of them admitted to snacking in their confessions. WHY, guys? WHY? Even when I sneak into my own freezer, I’m like …
Fast Company recently reported that police in Bangalore – sometimes referred to as the Silicon Valley of India – are encouraging bystanders to Periscope crimes they see in public. It’s kind of a twist on the old catchphrase, “If you see something, say something.” Now, “If you see something, stream something.” Because Periscope videos are available for 24 hours after being recorded, this would create a new, citywide, pretty much free surveillance system. Periscope could basically become the new Batman.
In the meantime, hopefully those two ice-cream-truck-robbing hooligans in Utah learned a valuable lesson and immediately deleted Periscope off of both their phones.
