College Designer Seeking Help from Other True Crime Fanatics!

[JustTrynaHelp]

Hi everyone!

I am a senior studying industrial design and I am working on a project that is all centered around the idea of how the community can help to solve crimes. I am thinking that it would be a website or app similar to Websleuths, but sanctioned by the government and people could tag different articles related to cases and the government could release information that they have available for the public. What do you guys think??? Any thoughts would be appreciated!

THANKS

 

[chaos-ace]

Hi there!
I like the idea of an "infodump" site for people to help solve crimes. To get the project started, may I suggest a smaller blog where you or a curator could pull articles and evidence from around the web? This smaller collection of information, available to the public, would expose unforeseen problems before they wreak havoc down the road with a much larger operation. Essentially, run your own experiment, collect data, make inferences, and present your research to the government agencies from which you hope to garner support.
You might also consider talking to lawyers about this, not because I foresee legal issues, but because they might be able to grant access to evidence and have suggestions about where to look. As a fellow college student, I'm sure the older generations have stacks of undigitized files from years ago that may be crucial to solving a case. Perhaps they would allow the site curators to access information if they agree to digitize it?
Another great resource is the "Nextdoor" app. In case you're not familiar, it allows people to post about happenings in their neighborhoods and connect with their neighbors digitally. Similarly, in your project, laypeople may have the ability to post their remembrances of crimes. Crime solvers could be organized into "neighborhoods" of similar crimes, with each "house" representing one crime. This would allow citizens to explore crimes similar to the one they are working on without blurring too many lines. As the app/ site grows, law enforcement could add a virtual "police station" where they keep all the files related to a particular type of crime. Additionally, houses and landscapes may be designed to represent the real-life layout of locations where crimes occurred.
Hope this helps!
Best,
chaos ace

 

[MoeInVA]

Hi everyone!

I am a senior studying industrial design and I am working on a project that is all centered around the idea of how the community can help to solve crimes. I am thinking that it would be a website or app similar to Websleuths, but sanctioned by the government and people could tag different articles related to cases and the government could release information that they have available for the public. What do you guys think??? Any thoughts would be appreciated!

THANKS

Cool project!
FBI has used for years with the Most Wanted idea .. low tech posters in post offices to online pics to sedition hunters today ... I’d ask sedition hunters for tips.
I think people are usually frustrated by the low quality images provided by law enforcement. Some with expertise take the time to enhance those and share. If LE can’t do it themselves they should provide a suite of tools to share. If LE already knows the brand of the back pack and the gloves, LE should say so, so that their supporters don’t waste time that could be spent elsewhere. JMO.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Hi everyone!

I am a senior studying industrial design and I am working on a project that is all centered around the idea of how the community can help to solve crimes. I am thinking that it would be a website or app similar to Websleuths, but sanctioned by the government and people could tag different articles related to cases and the government could release information that they have available for the public. What do you guys think??? Any thoughts would be appreciated!

THANKS

Love the idea. I’m interested in understanding more about the concept and logistics. How can we help? You’ll have to get us started. Give us a starting point. Research is my thing. I wouldn’t know where to start.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Hi everyone!

I am a senior studying industrial design and I am working on a project that is all centered around the idea of how the community can help to solve crimes. I am thinking that it would be a website or app similar to Websleuths, but sanctioned by the government and people could tag different articles related to cases and the government could release information that they have available for the public. What do you guys think??? Any thoughts would be appreciated!

THANKS

Welcome to Websleuths.

 

[MoeInVA]

in addition to looking at sedition hunters on twitter (see hashtags like #pinkhatlady ) there is a case I follow here where APD recently put out video of suspect for the first time on the one year anniversary of homicide ... you can see the discussions: VA - Scott Ratigan, 24, found murdered in apartment, Arlington, 17 January 2020

What I saw with sedition hunters was a lot of folks recreating the wheel on different threads - like 50 different people trying to ID a brand of backpack or jacket not knowing that a dozen people had already figured it out. So while you may want suspect images to go viral for maximum eyeballs, you do need a central repository so citizen volunteers aren't wasting their time.

Also, there may be times when LE doesn't want to definitively confirm the brand or make and model (because if they erred it may hurt the case in court or something), but if a citizen notes it in a central and public repository it can be helpful.

ETA- I like the idea of it being LE sanctioned but not LE owned site. Maybe it could be a Crime Stoppers site or a similar organizational structure.