School officials use Facebook to keep tabs

FAIRFAX, Va., April 5 (UPI) -- School officials say they use Facebook and other social networking sites to help them monitor gangs, violence and crimes at U.S. campuses.

Checks on Internet forums can provide officials with clues to help ensure students' safety, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

"I can't tell you how many fights we've been able to prevent," said Officer Freddie Rappina, who is based at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax County, Va.

The newspaper noted that school officials and police don't have special privileges on Facebook or MySpace. Users can set privacy settings to allow their pages to be seen only by approved people.

"If you're already familiar with the technology, it doesn't take you but a couple of minutes to hook into the student population and keep an eye on things," said Kevin Quinn, a spokesman for the National Association of School Resource Officers, based in Minnesota.

Employers and college admissions counselors also peruse online profiles, the Post said.