SLIDELL, La. — Slidell Police say the department's criminal arrest rates are on the rise due to social media.
Earlier this week, police created a Facebook post with a surveillance photo of a man who investigators say stole $1,000 worth of fishing rods and reels that were on their way to be donated to Louisiana non-profit We Heart Veterans.
The organization helps retired military. The equipment was going to be donated to be raffled off at Saturday’s annual Fishing Rodeo.
Officers asked followers to help identify the man who took the equipment, and even tag him in the post.
“Tips started coming in very quick,” said Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal.
Police were able to identify the man as Jeffery Effler, 34, and arrest him in a matter of hours. The missing fishing gear was recovered.
“All he caught with those rod and reels was a charge, a felony theft charge,” Fandal said.
Fandal says quick arrests from social media posts are common.
“The solve rate is high,” Fandal said. “We start pumping it out, and they immediately start sending in tips.”
Social media has become an investigative tool that has saved the entire department a lot of time and money.
“Normally we would take a report and send it to investigators, and investigators would look into it and it may take several hours, even days to put time and effort into that investigation,” Fandal said.
Fandal says the tips come in even faster when it’s a violent crime, but they are happy to get the recovered fishing gear back to an organization that needs it.
The recovered gear will be auctioned off Saturday at the We Heart Veterans’ Annual Fishing Rodeo Saturday Oct. 5. The event takes place at 118 Harbor View Ct in Slidell. Fishing launch is at first safe light, the after party begins at 2 p.m.