Police are offering a new incentive to community members who might have information to share about crimes that they've witnessed, they will be looking to give out Ring doorbell cameras for anyone that has valuable information to share with them.
Privacy experts warn that it's deteriorating neighborhood privacy, the more that people are embracing these cameras. Police have been even giving away many of these cameras for free, insisting that it's going to help keep communities safe.
It is helping to establish an environment that provides for constant surveillance of certain neighborhoods.
Alerts from the cameras have been known to unnecessarily utilize police resources. The cameras have also contributed to many individuals feeling that crime in their communities is on the rise, and that they aren't safe, when that isn't the reality of the matter.
"Once you start having all of these cameras and start linking them to automatic notifications, the public may get the sense that crime is on the rise when it actually isn't," - D. Maass, a senior investigative researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Various police departments have been encouraged to push for the adoption of these cameras, in-exchange for free Ring products.
Now, instead of getting a cash reward for providing information relating to witnessing a crime, you have the chance to grab yourself a free doorbell camera.
Not everyone is happy with the way that Ring has been using police departments to help them market their products, though it's clearly a flourishing relationship between the two. We can see that the prevalence of these cameras continues to grow, with more communities making the move to join in on the digital surveillance neighborhood watch.
Critics are concerned about the potential here for privacy abuse, along with a lack of transparency, among other worries. They also question the narrative of whether or not these cameras might truly help to reduce crime.
“The relationship between the company and the police departments doesn’t necessarily seem to be completely about public safety,... They seem to be enlisting law enforcement in a sort of sales role.” - D. Maass.
Now, civil liberties groups are starting to demand more transparency and oversight for the partnership between the two.
There are plans to file over 100 public records requests which are seeking to obtain information about potential undisclosed Ring partnerships around the country; they say the public deserves to know the details.