Triad police departments react to Ring no longer allowing them to request camera footage
New this week, the popular security camera company, Ring, has stopped law enforcement agencies from being able to request doorbell camera footage from users through the company’s Neighbors app.
Winston-Salem Police Department and Greensboro Police Department say they have used Ring to request doorbell footage in the past. Now, this change will just affect how they receive camera footage from the community.
Before this change with Ring, whenever there would be a crime where they need video evidence, law enforcement could go to Rings’ neighbors app and send a request to anybody in that area, asking if they have footage of the crime that occurred. Then, Ring users could go through their cameras and send the footage to them directly.
Now, police will not have access to this tool, but agencies have a plan.
WSPD is asking Winston-Salem residents to register their cameras through the ConnectWinstonSalem.Org website.
By registering your camera with WSPD, the department will not have access to the camera’s feed, they’ll just know there is a camera in that area. It’s something that the department’s Real Time Crime Center can use to help solve crimes faster.
The sergeant overseeing WSPD's Real Time Crime Center, Bradley Richardson, said, “If we hear a crime come out over the live 911, say an auto breaking in progress, a shooting, or you name the crime in the area, we will jump on the map and see are there cameras? Are there live cameras? Are there registered cameras in this block range? In this neighborhood? And then we’ll have our analysts and our sworn personnel jump on the cameras, start accessing the feeds if they’re integrated."
By integrating your camera with WSPD, the department has direct access to the camera. Richardson said mainly businesses and churches in Winston-Salem have done this.
Currently, there are 949 registered cameras and 1663 integrated cameras with WSPD.
For GPD, this Ring change just has them relying on the community to use their P3 tips website to send videos, pictures, and tips anonymously.
GPD's CrimeStoppers coordinator, Stacy Finch, said, "Even though Ring has went away or the request for assistants has went away, we still have our platform and it's truly safe."
WSPD and GPD said that having a camera and sending video to police departments can help them solve crimes.
“There's been many success stories from solving auto break-ins all the way up to some of our recent homicides based on the information and the videos and pictures that we have received from residents in the Winston-Salem area," Richardson said.
Finch said, "It is helpful because, you know, we need people to be the eyes and ears of the community and, you know, capture something that might help lead to solving a case or at least send the detectives on a lead."
This change with Ring goes into effect Jan. 31.