Ring is a ‘smart’ doorbell with a camera pointed outside the front door. It sends an alert to a cell phone when there is movement on the camera.
The doorbell camera company Ring began partnering with local law enforcement last year. More than 400 police departments across the country have teamed up with Ring to help solve crimes.
The Ring company says police can request video recordings to help with active investigations. Ring says users choose whether or not to share the video. The company says working together makes neighborhoods safer.
Ring’s app software program ‘Neighbors’ allows people to anonymously post recordings captured by their cameras. Recent videos have shown suspected package thefts, break-ins, and other thefts. The Ring app also posts alerts about crimes that happen.
According to the Denver Police, “It’s not just sharing information with DPD, it’s the public sharing information with each other. That’s the power of any neighborhood watch program!” Denver police indicate this is a partnership to increase safety of residents. Some privacy advocates are condemning the partnership saying it threatens to create 24-7 surveillance.
The Ring doorbell cameras helped solve a crime per a Delaware police department detective Police still had to do some investigation to identify the suspect, who was eventually charged with stealing five cameras.
“One of the things I like about the Ring program is, it’s up to the end user to allow us to see their video,” one Delaware detective said, “We have to make a request. There are safeguards in place. The partnership serves as another means to communicate with residents, like the “old community watch, ‘Tell a neighbor, tell a friend!”