SOCIAL Notworking sites like Myspace and Youtube are being used by criminal gangs as recruiting tools, according to coppers and social workers.

San Mateo top cop Susan Manheimer, claimed that gang leaders were aware that kids like to socialise on sites such as Myspace and Youtube.

She said kids get into discussions in the comments sections of web sites and it makes them prey to predators and also at odds with and challenging other gangs.

Manheimer claimed something start on the Internet, and actually turn into an assault or a gang fight that actually results out of Internet profiling.

Manheimer's comments were reported by CBS 5 who popped down to a movie theatre in downtown Redwood City and found 12 year old kids with gang insignia downloaded onto their phones. Horrors were that some of them had downloaded rap songs onto their phones too.

One 13-year old boy told CBS 5 hacks that he sometimes spoke to gang members online who even 'talked normal' too him.

Youth counsellor Alejandro Vilchez told CBS 5 that keeping kids out of gangs meant he had to teach them to avoid becoming targets of propaganda online.

He said it was really no different than the way Hitler recruited Hitler youth using pageantry and flashy uniforms.

Vilchez suggests that parents keep computers in common rooms and closely monitor websites and mobiles.

However Youtube said that it does not allow videos showing dangerous or illegal acts.

More here. µ