Lori Hickey

Teen scaling Manhattan skyscraper
A 17-year-old male has been accused of scaling a residential building located at 432 Park Avenue to take pictures, which he posted on his Instagram account. The suspect has only been identified by his Instagram user name, “Demidism;” however, his profile also features a link to a video tagged with the name Demid Lebedev. Police called the teen in for questioning after they found several photos on his Instagram account that appeared to be shot from atop some of the tallest structures in Manhattan. He has been charged with criminal trespassing and reckless endangerment.

On his Instagram account, Demidism describes himself as an “urban historian.” To date, he has posted 281 photos of cityscapes, mostly shot from above. There is also a Vimeo link to a video titled “Demid Lebedev – Urban Explorer.” The two minute video shows the suspect walking through what appear to be restricted areas and taking photos from the top of tall buildings. His photos and video indicate that he has also trespassed in closed off areas of subway tunnels and scaled the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges.

 
MSA's Research and Intelligence Analysis (RIA) Group has been monitoring this situation closely and has identified the following implications:

 
 
At this time, Demidism’s Instagram account has over 16,000 followers, and his pictures have garnered significant positive commentary, complimenting his photographic skills. The fear is that his popularity will encourage others to follow suit. Over the past year, there have been several cases in which people have scaled structures, including One World Trade Center and the Brooklyn Bridge. In the majority of cases, the trespassers were looking to take pictures and brag about their nighttime pursuits. However, the incidents also highlight the vulnerability of a number of major iconic structures in New York City, which remain attractive targets for potential terrorist attacks. In this case, the suspect’s social media posts alerted authorities to his late night activities over the past six months, demonstrating the value of social media monitoring to a comprehensive security program.


(Image Credit: Instagram)
 
Download : White Paper | Rise of Social Media 

Subscribe to Blog