Crowdsourced content will form the basis of investigations into the deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon on Monday, which left three dead and 180 injured.
According to Wired, federal and local authorities have called for spectators to provide amateur cellphone images or videos, Vine footage and Instagram photos that could be used as evidence in the case.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Boston police commissioner Ed Davis explained that while investigators were working to secure video footage from surveillance cameras at Copley Square, they also wanted to construct a broader picture of the scene, bringing together various angles and vantage points from footage other than that provided by street-mounted cameras.
According to Davis, investigators plan to study each frame of every video in an attempt to accurately determine who was in the area.
According to Reuters, authorities suspect the perpetrators carried the explosive devices in dark nylon bags or backpacks before dropping them near the finish line. "It was determined that both of the explosives were placed in a dark-coloured nylon bag or backpack. The bag would have been heavy because of the components believed to be in it," said FBI special agent in charge, Richard DesLauriers, following the bombing. "Assistance from the public remains critical," he stressed.
The "video revolution" will provide valuable insights for investigators, according to USA Today. "On Monday, the block by the marathon finish line was photographed by thousands of spectators, news media and fixed security cameras. The result is that these crimes did not just occur in public, but likely were recorded by the public," writes Dr Scott Sigmund Gartner for USA Today.
The conflict mediation expert goes on to detail how the footage and images from the public will form part of a big data forensics investigation, as massive amounts of data will be analysed and transformed into useful information. "Crunching an unimaginable amount of data through social network, facial recognition and geographical information systems and other analytical algorithms, will reveal who seems to be there for the race, for business, or possibly for evil intent," he adds.
In the run-up to the race, Masslive reported on the incredible IT infrastructure that was put in place as part of the event. "At the heart of the Boston Marathon is a robust IT system designed to withstand the sudden onslaught of hundreds of thousands of inquiries, complex data processing and constant wireless connectivity that can crush a weaker system." According to the article, the need for this complex IT network was driven by the overwhelming adaptation of mobile technology, the use of which could prove integral to investigations.
The explosion site may have been secure in the days leading up to the event, but security becomes complicated as more and more people move into the area, said Juliette Kayyem, a former homeland security adviser to Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, adding that this is what makes eyewitnesses, and their cellphones, so important.
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