Carrie Moritz, Gazette
When looking to keep neighbors, and the community, safe, where is the line between a neighborhood watch and vigilante justice? When is it useful, and when does it go too far?
For Valerie Johnson, having her likeness posted on social media under accusations of camping on a public street, sex trafficking, and other suspicious activity when she was visiting her daughter a few weeks ago was definitely going too far.
"I'm from Garretson, my daughter lives in Garretson, and to be accused like this was [awful]," Johnson said in an interview with the Gazette. "Garretson Living, and Garretson in general, says it wants to be a welcoming place, but this was the opposite of welcoming."
For Johnson, who has been traveling the United States in a white van conversion and did not have a profile on Facebook until very recently, it was a surprise to have people inform her that photos of her and her vehicle had been posted online with a post asking who it was, and comments that insinuated she should be suspect. She said the neighbor who posted was not kind in her approach to Johnson, initially yelling across the street instead of striking up a conversation.
The advent of social media has been a double-edged sword, with its highs and lows. Suddenly, people with unusual or rare conditions could band together and commiserate or educate, lonely people could find friends in far-flung places, and communities could have discussions in more places than the local cafe and disseminate information very quickly.
Unfortunately, it has come with its downsides, too. People entered a world where things could seemingly be "said" aloud without immediate consequences, those with extreme beliefs could find them corroborated instead of dismissed, and humans making mistakes could find themselves monkey-piled.
Much of what is said on social media is protected under the First Amendment unless it leads to a crime, such as vandalism, said Sergeant Mason Braun of the Minnehaha Sheriff's Department.
But that doesn't mean it doesn't come without consequences. While most studies of social media's effects have revolved around teenagers and young adults, showing an increase in bullying and depression among those who use the platforms most heavily, negative effects can occur for adults, as well.
"She (the neighbor) posted pictures, my exact location, and there were people on there just feeding it," Johnson said. While the truth did eventually come through, and the post was deleted by moderators, after she learned of it the feelings of anger and fear only grew stronger for Johnson. She wondered what could have happened if she'd been later targeted by someone with violent intentions because of the post. She felt violated, and betrayed by a community that otherwise portrays itself as neighborly, welcoming, and a place to visit.
While it's important to watch out for your neighbors, a simple conversation can go a long way. And even though posts on Facebook and the actions of Garretson residents have helped break crime rings wide open or solve cases, it's not the best way to approach suspicious activity, according to Sgt. Braun.
"How you approach people does impact things," said Sgt. Braun. "Asking is better than yelling."
He pointed out that if something suspicious is occurring, the best thing to do is to call the non-emergency number, not post about it on social media. He pointed out that the sheriff's office does make themselves available in a non-criminal way to help people, and that while communication has gone more online, a phone call is still far more effective.
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"We need to all be working together with all aspects of a community," Sgt. Braun said. While the department monitors local social media fairly closely, if there's a problem, they can't know unless someone tells them. He continued by noting the deputies can help mediate neighbor disputes, and they are more than willing to take the time to do that. An officer is rarely more than twenty minutes away; while they have around 6 contracted patrol hours in Garretson each day, they also have a deputy that monitors just the east side of the county at all hours.
"We're there when needed," Sgt. Braun said.
An officer did check on Johnson while she was in town. She thought it odd that he asked if there was also a man in the vehicle, as she hadn't seen the post at that time, but the deputy went on his way soon after.
While an often-given answer for "feeler"-type posts on social media is to keep the community safe, especially from potential criminals, there does come a point where it crosses into vigilante territory.
"Hate speech is protected, but doing an act in furtherance of that speech is a crime," Sgt. Braun said. This act could be anything from vandalism to assault.
Despite it not being a criminal activity, posting to ruin another's reputation strays into defamation, which is the act of damaging someone's reputation in a written or spoken way, and a poster can potentially be sued for damages. Cornell Law School notes that the line between opinion and fact can be vague and difficult to prosecute, but that "many states treat certain types of claims as defamatory outright if false such as accusing someone of committing a crime or accusing someone of a corrupt act."
Sgt. Braun reiterated that reports from the community are best sent directly to the sheriff's office so they can be investigated, especially if suspected criminal acts may be involved.
In a 2020 report from KELO on kidnappings, Sioux Falls City Police Information Officer Sam Clemens pointed out that most victims know their kidnappers. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), nonfamily kidnappings, where children are taken by either a stranger or someone known but not related, are only 1% of all cases. In cases of sex and human trafficking, perpetrators often find their victims on-line, not by outright kidnapping.
"Tactics used by recruiters, traffickers and their associates are often the same tactics used by batterers and can mirror dynamics of domestic violence," said SafeHorizon.org, a website dedicated to assisting victims of trafficking in New York City.
The NCMEC is more direct. "When youth feel like they are not loved, supported in their identity and voice, or like they don’t belong they become ever more vulnerable to unsafe situations. Traffickers are masters of manipulation and prey upon vulnerabilities using psychological pressure, false promises [sic] actions of perceived love/support and intimidation to control and sexually exploit the child for their benefit." The site points out that often, children who are victims of trafficking come from backgrounds with little social support, may feel ostracized, or have run away from home.
While it has been mentioned as something people would like, a Neighborhood Watch program is not officially established in Garretson. However, the Neighborhood Watch website states clearly that the program should be undertaken with local law enforcement in collaboration, as it requires commitment, training, meetings, and patrols.
Part of that training includes how to report suspicious activity effectively. It "does not advocate watch members taking any action when observing suspicious activity in their neighborhood," according to the official website. "Community members only serve as the extra 'eyes and ears' and should report their observations of suspicious activities to their local law enforcement. Trained law enforcement should be the only ones ever to take action; citizens should never try to take action on those observations."
"People need to evaluate what's going on, and not spread rumors or create fear and drama," said Johnson.
