FBI Uses Digital Billboards to Help Stop Crime
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now using giant digital billboards to help stop crime.
The FBI's use of digital billboards is the agency's latest technique to get information out and work to quickly apprehend elusive criminals, USA Today reports.
The FBI is taking out billboards on the bad guys to grab attention through outdoor advertising. Clear Channel Outdoor, Adams Outdoor Advertising and Lamar Advertising Co., have all donate billboard space to the FBI.
Digital billboards are a fast-growing segment of the outdoor advertising market. Typically, they cost an average $200,000 to $300,000, according to industry experts.
Currently, there are more 40 states with digital billboards dedicated to the FBI in order to help stop crime. Officials say, billboards have been directly tied to solving 35 cases in the past two years.
The digital billboards have been just as successful as America's Most Wanted television show in the helping law enforcement make arrests.
The giant billboards, which feature a video display screen instead of a static printed picture and text.
As previously discussed, the FBI is using a variety of ways to fight crime including their new web site FBI website, BanditTracker.
The web site launched recently enlists the public's help to identify surveillance camera footage of bank robbery suspects. The site also includes suspects' information like their heights, races and builds and descriptions of the holdups.
Through the web site the public can contact authorities if they think they know the whereabouts of a suspect.
In addition, FBI agents are now joining social network sites like MySpace, Twitter and Facebook to plan covert operations to help stop crime and catch criminals.
As previously discussed, FBI agents have created online profiles that allow them to go undercover to exchange information with suspects and gather information from popular social networking sites.
To date, there are about 1,800 digital billboards across the nation, according to industry officials.
- FBI Expands Use of Digital Billboards (Officer.com)
- Police Find NY Fugitive with Facebook & Myspace Info (FindLaw)
- New FBI Web Site Focuses on Fighting Crime (FindLaw)