Social media crime rises

A Freedom of Information request was submitted to the force by the Press Association, asking how many offences were recorded where either Facebook and Twitter had been a key factor.

The force was also asked how many such incidents had been recorded in 2008, to which the answer was seven.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said that of all the crimes recorded on a yearly basis, social media-related offences made up a very small percentage.

“Bedfordshire Police will continue to follow guidelines issued nationally to ensure all crimes reported within the Bedfordshire area are fully investigated,” she said.

“The force has recorded an increase in cases where social networking sites have been reported as a key factor within investigations.

“However, Bedfordshire Police records approximately 45,500 crimes each year and last year 149 crimes were recorded within this criteria.”