Talk about using govt money in counterproductive ways. In Chicago during the 60-70s we had the “Red Squad” which wasted money and incited more trouble than they prevented. So it goes.

Colorado’s Department of Public Safety is employing analysts at the Colorado Information Analysis Center to monitor sites like Twitter and Facebook with an eye to gleaning information about potentially disruptive events before they happen. By monitoring social media conversations in real time, the CDPS analysts hope to be able to identify emerging threats within minutes of the first discussion by online plotters — which should hopefully allow law enforcement to preempt, for example, apparently spontaneous outbursts of civil disorder.

via MediaPost Publications Colorado Is Tracking Social Media Movements 08/12/2011.