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Using Twitter to stop gang violence

Gangs — just like everybody else — are reportedly using Twitter to conduct their business, but one Harlem pastor may been trying to use the social networking site to stop them too.

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A story in the New York Daily News this week should come as no surprise: Gangs, the newspaper reported, are using Twitter to conduct business, just like everybody else.

Young people are apparently engaging in verbal battles and planning violent attacks against competing crews on the social network.

One part of the newspaper story caught our eye: A Harlem pastor who runs a youth outreach ministry is monitoring gang traffic on Twitter, then dispatching volunteers to prevent or break up fights when he catches wind of trouble.