1.0 Introduction. The media is a means of communication intended to influence a large audience. This includes, but is not limited to, newspapers, television news anchors and, more recently, social media. Social media is defined as forms of electronic communication (such as social networking websites) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (Merriam-Webster, 2014). Many argue that social media is a useful tool in combating crime which includes violent and property crimes. Violent crime occurs when a person harms, attempts to harm, threatens to harm, or even conspires to harm someone else, while property crime occurs when a person spoils, destroys, or steals the property of others, such as stealing a car or vandalizing a building (Montaldo, 2014). ). Police statistics showed that compared to 6,244 cases in the whole of 2012, there were 4,436 cases of violence in the first nine months of 2013 in Malaysia alone (Zachariah, E. 2014). The purpose of this survey is to see if social media helps police catch criminals or, on the contrary, hinders them. Figure 1. 73% of American adults use social media websites. (Tech Crunch, 2014)2.0 Advantages and disadvantages of social media.2.1 Advantages of social media.2.1.1 Helps in spreading information. Police departments can use social media as a means of real-time communication with citizens, which can disseminate information more quickly than sending advisories or television broadcasts. It is also an electronic means for citizens to make suggestions, give advice and ask questions to local law enforcement officers without personally visiting the police station or contacting an agent. For example, in 2011, the Kentucky State Police... middle of paper ...... him in over a month (Sanchez, R., 2013).3.0 Conclusion.In conclusion, he There is no doubt that social media has its advantages when it comes to seeking justice, but law enforcement must consider its flaws before acting on the information it contains. Anyone involved in law enforcement in any way, whether police officers, judges or juries, should exercise extreme caution when using social media as evidence of a person's guilt or innocence, as the consequences of failing to do so have far-reaching consequences not only for the defendant but also for future cases. However, as my report showed, the majority of citizens get their information from social media and believe it helps them. Personally, I think social media is here to stay and law enforcement should use it to its full potential while remembering that it is a double-edged sword.(1298 words)