One day after the horrific bombings at the Boston Marathon, the FBI called on the public to submit any photos and videos that people may have of the marathon scene to establish a timeline and possibly identify the suspect(s). With more than 200,000 witnesses physically present at the marathon, the FBI estimates that as many as 100,000 took photos and videos on their cellphones, cameras and video cameras. This raw data would no doubt be beneficial to the investigation and could lead to determining who is responsible for such a devastating attack.

“Somewhere in the background is a guy walking by with a backpack,” said Grant Fredericks, an instructor at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. “It could have been someone hours before the bombs went off.”

The concern with involving the public at such an emotional time is then whether the investigation becomes a witch-hunt. Some advocates for crowdsourcing maintain that since the police are limited by civil liberty considerations, and the need for warrants, crowdsourcing to obtain information is more effective. However, this has already led to at least three men being targeted as suspects by users of the link-sharing site Reddit, based solely on speculation. The cost of speculation could be detrimental to innocent people. Many in the past have been publicly scrutinized, harassed and even killed based on rumors and inaccurate information (e.g., Richard Jewell after the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games bombing, Sardar Surinder Singh and many others after the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, etc.).

This is not to say crowdsourcing is not effective. It absolutely is, when used wisely. Fredericks mentions that the amount of evidence ascertainable through crowdsourcing is invaluable, but investigators often run into trouble when they allow the public to self-sensor and decide what is relevant. He warned not to let vigilantes decide who is guilty and who is not.

Fredericks emphasized that collecting and organizing all the raw data submitted by the public is crucial to the investigation. To accomplish reviewing all this data, the Law Enforcement & Emergency Services Video Association (“LEVA”) can be activated. LEVA solicits help from law enforcement agencies around the world to volunteer video experts to assist in sifting through evidence.

LEVA was instrumental in the case of the June 2011 riots in Vancouver, B.C. after the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, which left behind $3.4 million in damages. In the end, more than 200 rioters were identified, facing 592 criminal charges.

LEVA remains on standby for the Boston Marathon bombings investigation.

Sources: http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/national/boston-marathon-bombings-police-turn-to-crowdsourcing-to-help-solve-crime http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57580114/crowdsourcing-or-witch-hunt-reddit-and-4chan-users-attempt-to-solve-boston-bombing-case/

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