ONE of Wagga’s most controversial Facebook pages, Wagga LiveCrime, has been blasted by the city’s crime manager Rod Smith who says it just feeds the community rumour mill.
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The page, currently “liked” by more than 8000 people, offers continual updates involving criminal activities – information gained through listening to the region’s police scanner and available through website Broadcastify.
Despite the page’s administration saying it attempts to “connect the community”, Inspector Smith said posting the information could breach privacy laws or possibly escalate incidents.
“Broadcasting sensitive information puts officers at risk ... there is no useful purpose for this other then to feed the rumour mill.”
Inspector Smith said information posted on the page was often incorrect.
“Posting in real time is dangerous ... what is broadcast over the scanner isn’t necessarily what is happening.”
Speaking anonymously to the Advertiser, a member of the page’s administration – which consists of three people who also control Albury LiveCrime – said they were delivering on a community-held expectation.
“People want this,” he said.
“They don’t want to wait three days to receive news from a primary source.”
"The administrator defended the page, saying they also posted relevant community information.
“We post extreme weather activity and other ‘community relevant’ information,” he said.
He said administration edits details to minimise any effect the posts could have on police.
