CIRCLEVILLE – Did you know that Circleville Police has joined neighbors app a new piece of technology not controlled by law enforcement but can be used to upload videos to help inform and notify people in your area of things going on. The app uses the ring doorbell technology and other brands technology to upload video by permission of the user to the forum to say, “the guy looks suspicious,” or, “My package was stolen do you know this guy.” Those videos seen already uploaded can be requested by law enforcement to help solve a crime with your permission. Also if police know of a crime in your neighborhood police can request through the app to ask you for video of a event that happened, this is a new way to help solve crime.
This popular video was posted on the Neighborhood App
Woman in Circleville Ohio attempts to steal a mailbox.. pic.twitter.com/3A3bQhug5m
— Scioto Post (@sciotopost) January 22, 2020
According to a statement on ring.com, “Users have full control of who views their Ring footage. Only the content that a user chooses to make publicly available on Neighbors (by posting it to the App) can be viewed via the Neighbors App or by local law enforcement. Users can choose to share text updates, photos and videos taken on any device, including but not limited to Ring’s home security devices. Only content that a Neighbors user chooses to share on the Neighbors App is publicly accessible through the Neighbors App or by your local law enforcement. Ring does not view or share a user’s videos that are not posted to the App without the user’s express permission or a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us.”
Dan Maher of the Circleville Police department said that this kind of technology can really help during an investigation. Some people feel that this kind of technology invades privacy but any information we request has to go through the app and then be approved by you or we get no information. Its completely protected, the positive thing is you may not even know you have a intruders face, or a theft suspect, or a missing person on your camera and that video can help solve a case. The app protects everyones privacy by defining every user by “neighbor” and a number other than law enforcement. Law enforcement is recognized as the police department that made the post or comment and the officers name. How we find out if your video may be needed to solve a crime is we request videos during a certain timeframe only, in a area where the crime happened say 1000 block of Pinckney street and the ring app would find everyone who is part of the app and request that section of video. That video request would come to you as a email or notification on the app, and you can deny that request and we would never know. You also could approve that request and we would receive the video and possibly use it for evidence. The video would speak for itself and you would not have to get involved. Its truly a win for people who have neighborhood issues its the new block watch for everyone.
You can download the app on your smart phone or check out ring.com
