The Amazon-owned company Ring recently partnered with over 400 police departments across the United States—including Texas. Local police departments and Amazon hope that the doorbell cameras will catch criminals.
How does it work?
People can purchase Ring video doorbells to see who is at their door. They may also use the camera to catch people stealing packages, vandalizing their house or breaking-in.
- The owner of the camera gets an alert on their electronic device or devices when there is movement in front of the camera. The owner can then call the police if they choose.
- The owners can also upload videos onto an app called Neighbors. The app works like a social media site for people living in a specific area.
- Police can request access to people’s cameras. Ring emails those with devices in the area and the people can share videos or deny the request.
Ring asserts that their partnership with police is meant for people that want to help police. If a person denies the request from police, the police do not have access to the footage unless subpoenaed.
These cameras are making it easier for the police to catch criminals and solve crimes.
Have any criminals been caught?
The footage captured by Ring cameras has already helped catch some criminals. Thieves have been caught taking packages off doorsteps and attempting to break into homes.
One Ring camera helped police catch an escaped inmate from a Tennessee Prison. A couple received an alert from their Ring system that a man was on their property. They recognized him and called the local police department immediately.
Dallas and Fort Worth police departments have recently started working with Ring.