Flash Mob - Crime

Crime

Crimes associated with flash mobs are rare but occasionally make international headlines. Referred to as "flash robs", "flash mob crimes", "crime mobs", or "flash mob violence" by the media, these mobs start with the intent or lead to the destruction of private property, rioting, violence, and personal injury. Mark Leary, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, said, "the illegal and violent component is also not unlike ordinary crimes where a group of people do something illegal. What social media adds is the ability to recruit such a large group of people, that individuals who would not rob a store or riot on their own feel freer to misbehave without being identified."

Law enforcement and governments have used several methods to combat these flash mob crimes with the use of pepper spray, mass arrests, and criminal charges. In the United States, a few cities experienced waves of flash mob crimes. In Philadelphia the riots drew harsh condemnation from mayor Michael Nutter and resulted in curfews being imposed in two local districts. The city of Braunschweig, Germany has stopped flash mobs by strictly enforcing the already existing law of requiring a permit to use any public space for an event. In the United Kingdom, a number of flash mobs have been stopped over concerns for public health and safety. The British Transport Police have urged flash mob organizers to "refrain from holding such events at railway stations".

Bill Wasik has expressed "surprise by the new focus of some of the gatherings" and said it is "terrible that these Philly mobs have turned violent". Advocates and organizers of legal flash mobs consider "flash mob crime” and similar neologisms used by the media to be inaccurate and damaging to the reputation of flash mobs.