From finding stolen items, to tracking down criminals, to even possibly saving a life, cell phones and technology are changing the way law enforcement solve crimes.
"Any time that we can use it to put the pieces together sure,” said Orange County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ginette Rodriguez.
In October, Orlando Police reported a tourist left her camera on a shuttle bus. Police said instead of returning the camera, the driver took selfies with it. The tourist had a Google account connected to her camera so she could see the pictures he was taking with her stolen camera and called police.
In another case deputies said they were able to track down a suicidal man who was hiding deep in the woods using the Find My I-Phone App. Deputies said they found him bleeding from self-inflicted injuries.
“It’s a great feature for us in helping locate that phone and the person. If the phone and the person are together,” said Rodriguez.
And in a third case deputies said thieves took off in a stolen van with the victim’s cell phone inside the vehicle. A tracking device informed the victim where the van was taken and lead him right to the criminals.
“Through GPS information they can track where your phone is located,” said Carlos Carbenell, CEO of App design company Echo.
And while this technology can be useful, deputies say don’t try to be a hero yourself. In one case the victim followed the suspects who opened fire. Luckily they missed. "Call law enforcement have them handle the situation without that person taking that situation into their own hands,” said Rodriguez.