Social Media … to the Rescue?

A social media site this week exploded with tales of robbery and mayhem at the Ralphs Marketplace parking lot (west of Rosemont and Foothill). The site stated that younger students were being robbed by older ones and even named the high school, the grade levels and ethnicity of the older kids. According to the site, at least 15 children were robbed!

How fortunate are we to be living in an age when news can spread like wildfire, that people can be warned of this type of behavior and protect their family? Only one problem: questions have arisen as to how accurate this “report” is.

The knee jerk reaction many of us have to this type of information is not to question the authenticity and accuracy of it, but to offer opinion and, sometimes, action. This particular post received 127 reactions and 73 comments ¬ranging from talking to the school principals, sheriff’s department and resource officer to marching down to the location to monitor the location.

I was in a CV Chamber of Commerce meeting Wednesday morning when I first heard of the incident. Many of my fellow board members and I talked about the situation and how scary it is. We discussed possible approaches to resolving the problem and hypothesized whether it is a reflection of poor parenting, bad behavior or “pack” mentality. Of course there was no consensus as to the correct course of action.

Are there problems when the middle school lets out its student body? Unfortunately, undoubtedly, yes. Rosemont Middle School has a late start on Thursday mornings and, in response, the Fire House youth center (at Rosemont and Foothill east of the Ralphs Market) opens its doors early to provide breakfast and a safe place for the kids to congregate before they head to school. (Note that parents are needed at the youth center to prepare and serve food, watch over the kids and clean up after. No experience necessary.)

But unlike the mass robberies reported at the shopping center parking lot on social media this week, the main problem is parking and traffic in the area. This is a result of parents attempting to pick up their children after school. In response, St. Luke’s of the Mountains has made its parking lot (located on Cross Street just south of the school) available for afternoon pick up so parents can avoid jams at the marketplace lot. I think that the large lot at the Church of Latter-day Saints – accessible from both Raymond Street and Rosemont Avenue – is also a prime spot for afternoon pick ups.

We’ve seen reports on social media of home invasions that were actually no more than stolen bicycles, of multiple burglaries that evolved from the report of a single burglary but was posted multiple times. While social media is a great way to share family photos and keep in touch with long-lost friends, is it really the place to find honest news reporting?

Finally, if you witness a crime or are a victim of a crime, call law enforcement. If the crime involves a student, call law enforcement and then the school.

We all need to take the time to determine the authenticity of these types of posts. When the CV Weekly reports news, we take this responsibility very seriously. As a community, if we just react to social media posts without reading carefully, we may end up doing harm to our community and possibly to each other.

  robin goldsworthy