YouTube Standoff Highlights the Difficulties of Policing the Internet

Friday's overnight standoff in which New Canaan police negotiated with a suspect through comments on his YouTube page -- a website that hosted many of the threatening remarks leading to the man's arrest -- is raising new questions over the challenges, reliability and usefulness of the Internet as a forum for law enforcement.

"The Internet and what people are posting and doing online is in an area where law enforcement hasn't tapped yet," Senior Assistant State's Attorney Richard Colangelo said. "This is the first time I've heard of [police] negotiations on the Internet."

Colangelo, who has been an ardent supporter of bolstering local law enforcement's use of technology to protect children, sees the Internet as largely uncharted terrain for authorities.

"We've forever been playing catch up with criminals," he said. "That's why more and more law enforcement agencies are getting trained on using the Internet in investigations."  

Currently, the New Canaan Police Department has a small number of officers trained in undercover Internet investigations and computer forensics, both of which are expected to be utilized in the prosecution of 48-year-old Scott DeiCas, the suspect in Friday's standoff.

Comments that appeared under DeiCas' screen name in the days leading up to the arrest included "KILL THE BEAST; I will start with the_ Weston, Connecticut Town Government!!!" Another reads: "The New Canaan, Connecticut pigs are dishonorable_ sacks of (expletive).

NCPD Captain Leon Krolikowski says Internet investigations are currently conducted when a particular incident is brought to their attention, as was the case when DeiCas' allegedly sent threatening e-mails to officials in New Canaan and Weston.

Krolikowski says computers and Internet play a role in almost every investigation done by the department. However, the NCPD does not have the manpower or resources to designate officers solely to investigating computer crimes.

"Criminals are now at a point where their sophistication with computer-related activities surpasses -- to some degree -- ours," said Krolikowski, who believes Friday's YouTube negotiations were the first time he's ever seen police use a public chat forum to negotiate with a suspect. 

Friday's YouTube negotiations with DeiCas remain on the Internet, posted for the world to see. To YouTube's  myriad audience of anonymous onlookers who unwittingly stumble across the remains of Friday's ten-hour standoff, the interaction between DeiCas and police appears to be no more than another attempt at shock-jockery.

"What a scam! He wants more page views and more attention anyone can write what he wrote... You don't fool me," read one comment posted yesterday on DeiCas' YouTube page attributed to a user whose YouTube profile says she lives in Australia.

The Internet presents a unique challenge for law enforcement officials because it is infinitely vast and privacy laws can sometimes become hazy, according to Colangelo. As opposed to more intrusive methods of investigation -- such as tapping a phone line -- reading a suspect's Twitter feed or Myspace page requires no warrant.

"How can you say [police] are violating Fourth Amendment privacy when you've put something on the Internet for everyone to see," said Colangelo. "There are some things…people do online that if we had the manpower to monitor, it could be very useful…Right now we're playing catch up a lot of the time."

DeiCas is being held on $250,000 bond on charges of second-degree harassment and third-degree computer crimes, brought by Weston police. New Canaan police are expected to file additional charges this week. DeiCas is scheduled to appear Aug. 16 in state Superior Court in Norwalk.