SAVANNAH, GA (September 23, 2019) – The Savannah Police Department recently joined the Neighbors app by Ring to increase crime prevention measures and intelligence gathering in the City of Savannah.
In May 2018, Ring launched the Neighbors app as part of its mission to support safer neighborhoods and more connected communities by creating a free tool for residents and local law enforcement to share real-time local crime and safety information.
The Neighbors app, which has millions of users across the nation, is available to users who have any brand of home security camera and even residents who do not have cameras. Residents can join their digital neighborhood and use the app to view neighborhood activity; share crime or safety videos, photos and text-based posts; and receive regional safety alerts from neighbors, law enforcement or the Ring team.
By becoming a law enforcement partner with Ring, the Savannah Police Department will be able to request tips and video from users of any crimes that may have been captured, will be able to send crime alerts thought the Neighbors app to residents about local crimes, and work with the local community to help make the city safer.
“We are excited about the partnership with Ring and what it could mean for our intelligence,” Chief Roy Minter said. “There are instances where we may not have human witnesses, but residents have technology at their homes that may have captured information that could be critical to investigations. Although homeowners may not realize the importance of what they have captured, they are often willing to share this data to assist detectives in open cases. This partnership gives us the tools to communicate those requests efficiently, which has the potential to directly impact crime in our city.”
Law enforcement will never be able to directly access Neighbors users’ data or cameras. Law enforcement will either have to view footage that has been publicly posted on the app or will have to submit a request to Ring for users to share footage related to a specific incident and recorded during a specific day or time. Users are not legally required to submit files to police. All users’ identities will remain anonymous to law enforcement.
