Wichita gangs using social media

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Wichita police say gang members have been using social media to organize, recruit members and just to get their messages out.

Detective Chad Beard of the Wichita Police Department's gang and felony assault unit says gangs like the Crips and the Spanish Gangster Disciples have their own Facebook fan pages and have been posting pictures of social events, adding friends and commenting on posts.

Police say monitoring the social media activity of known and suspected gang members has become a key component of tracking gang activity and the sites can also provide police with useful information.

The Wichita Eagle reports that police say the move to social media has also apparently led to less graffiti around Wichita.