People are using their phones to try to stop their friends getting caught at police checkpoints.Instant messages telling people to avoid stop and search locations “unless you wanna get caught” took just seconds to circulate at the weekend.But politicians admit there is “little that can be done” to stop people using the technology they have at their fingertips.Scores of people were alerted to the high police presence at Barnes Corner on Saturday evening through BlackBerry Messenger, as well as Facebook and Twitter websites.The warning messages read: “police are out tonight, watch out” and “avoid Barnes Corner at all costs” and “don’t go Barnes Corner unless you wanna get caught, ‘nuff police.”It comes as police continue to utilize their beefed-up stop and search powers to catch violent offenders before they strike.In response to the rise in shootings, officers carried out 313 stop and searches from Friday to Monday, arresting 38 people for a variety of offences and issuing 44 traffic tickets.About 15 officers from Hamilton police station and Somerset police station stopped and searched people at Barnes Court from about 7pm until at least 10pm on Saturday.They randomly pulled over people on bikes and in cars explaining to them: “we are just stopping people because of the increase in violence across the Island.”The influx of warning messages prompted several debates on social network sites about whether spreading these messages could hinder the police in their fight against crime.The majority of people were in agreement that Islanders were in the wrong to try to “broadcast every move” of police officers.However, National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief said “with so many social networks out there” the police had to expect their whereabouts to be known.He said: “That’s how people talk these days, everyone is connected through their BlackBerrys and on Facebook.“I don’t see this as particularly problematic, it’s just a sign of the times. If police officers are by the side of the road in uniform, you have to expect the word to get out there.“If they were doing an undercover police operation it would be a very different matter.”Mr Perinchief added that stop and searches were “very effective” and he supported police officers using these powers to “uncover criminal activity.”Shadow National Security Minister Michael Dunkley agreed saying the only way around the issue was for police officers to regularly change the location of their checkpoints.He said: “It’s only natural that people warn others where the police are. When there’s a speed trap, all the cars flash their lights to warn you what’s round the corner.“In this era of technology and with everyone using instant messaging you have to expect things to spread even quicker. This is just an extra little challenge for everyone.“I’m not overly concerned as I’m sure the police take this into consideration and only stay at a certain place for a short period of time.“Stop and searches are most effective if the officers keep moving locations. Moving from one area to another area should be quite simple.”Mr Dunkley said he was supportive of the widespread use of stop and searches saying: “If you’ve got nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear.”Stop and search powers have been available in Bermuda since the Police And Criminal Evidence Act 2006 (PACE).Bermuda Police Service stopped and searched 9,537 people in 2010 and 85 per cent of these were black men, according to a sample survey.Random stop and searches can be carried out at any time at a visible checkpoint. Police can also stop and search any person or vehicle at any time in any place if they believe someone is acting suspiciously or fits the profile of a criminal seen in the area. Officers can also stop people they believe are carrying drugs, weapons or stolen property or about to commit a crime. Officers can only act based on facts, information or intelligence.The officer asks to see the person’s driver’s licence and fills in a stop/search form which details person and vehicle details and search authority.Being stopped and searched by the police does not mean you are under arrest, but the stop/search form is kept on file for 12 months.Bermuda Police Service did not respond to request for comment even though a series of questions were sent to them.A police spokesman said that in addition to the stop and searches, over the Easter weekend five people were arrested on suspicion of impaired driving and there were 14 reports of loud music.Police officers also arrested 48 people for outstanding warrants and conducted 56 liquor license checks at premises throughout the Island.