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Deterring crime and arresting people who break the law has really evolved a lot in the age of social media.

A few years ago, if a person was wanted by the law, newspapers and television newscasts would publish that person’s photo all over the place to inform the public. Of course, we still do that.

But via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the world has evolved in a lot of ways. Law enforcement, such as the LaGrange Police Department and Troup County Sheriff’s Office, can also help themselves by publishing video of local incidents to alert the public.

Both utilize social media effectively in this way.

For instance, the LPD has posted three videos in the last two days of burglaries that took place around LaGrange.

Sharing these videos makes it a lot more likely that someone will be arrested in these incidents.

Of course, we’ll also point out that in these cases the homeowners and stores had video that they could share. That’s important.

If you don’t have a security system or video equipment, then we encourage you to consider getting some. Video is extremely effective when it comes to finding and prosecuting people who commit a crime.

We applaud our local law enforcement for effectively utilizing social media to help make their job a little easier.