Sheriffs Want to Know About Flash Mobs

The Stafford County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in dealing with an emerging threat: Flash mobs. 

Yes, the digitally organized, seemingly spontaneous gatherings of people in public spaces to perform wacky choreography or other light mass pranks has police asking the public to report any flash mobs that they hear of.

A press release issued by the Stafford County Sheriff's Office describes flash mobs as "groups of people who gather in one location, in a short period of time, after being summoned online."

"Historically, flash mobs were gatherings that often involved large groups of people performing a dance number or singing a particular song at one location," writes Bill Kennedy, public information officer for the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. "Recently, impromptu incidents of mob violence or mob crime, prompted by calls on social networking sites to go to a specific site have occurred in numerous large cities across the globe."

Flash mobs have been around for a few years now, with perhaps the most well-known flash mob organizers being New York City based Improv Everywhere, which puts on surrealist flash mobs which seem to shock passerby out of their routine for minutes at a time to witness the collective antics. 

But flash mobs have also recently been in the news because they are being used to organize criminal activity. 

In Philadelphia, a recent swell in violent flash mobs has prompted Mayor Michael A. Nutter to step up enforcement of the existing curfew, threatening to fine offenders and their parents if it's violated. Nutter also delivered a thoughful, yet fiery address from the pulpit—a challenge to parents to "get it together."

A bit closer to home, you may have heard about the . The store's suvelliance camera caught about three dozen youth as they walked in and grabbed candy, sodas, ice cream and other items, and then walked out of the store, reports NBC Washington.

Stafford County Sheriff Charles Jett said that his police force, like many across the nation, still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to social media and activities organized on social networking sites. He also realizes that policing the internet can be a tall order.

"Those flash mob crimes are going to be hard to detect," said Jett. "Sometimes it's a close circle of friends using Facebook…if we have community members who have picked up on something that is spreading quickly about a gathering, we would like to know about it."

Jett also acknowledged that flash mobs are usually held for perfectly lawful reasons. He says that this initiative aimed at flash mobs is for the protection of the public.

"We want to make sure that those folks are protected from the few who may want to disrupt the activity," said Jett. "Its not that we want to be the crowd police, we just want to make sure that these gatherings are safe for all involved."

Describing the new effort to be clued in on flash mobs as an extension of the neighborhood watch programs, Jett said that police officers assigned to Stafford County high schools will be informing students of the initiative at assemblies being held next week as classes begin. 

"It's just like neighborhood watch, but moving those eyes and ears into different venues," said Jett.