California cops offer ‘free’ Ring home surveillance cameras on the taxpayer dime to encourage neighborhood snitches
- The offer from El Monte Police Department comes amid a surge in the Amazon-owned company’s partnerships with law enforcement agencies nationwide
- The California police department began its ‘Ring Reward Program’ about a month before it entered a partnership
- At least 231 police agencies across the U.S. have entered partnerships with Ring
- Law enforcement agencies across the nation said they decided to partner with Ring after the company promoted its product at law enforcement conferences
- The growing prevalence of Ring cams has raised privacy concerns
A southern California police department is using taxpayer money to purchase Ring home surveillance cameras and then giving them away for free to crime tipsters.
The El Monte Police department, which presides over the city of El Monte, California (located about 14 miles east of of Los Angeles) became one of the latest U.S. police agencies to partner with Ring in March after officially starting its own, ‘Ring Reward Program,’ a month prior, according to public records obtained by Motherboard.
At least 231 law enforcement agencies across the country have formed business deals with the Amazon-owned doorbell cam producer, according to data obtained by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researcher Shreyas Gandlur.
The El Monte Police department, which presides over the city of El Monte, California, located about 14 miles east of of Los Angeles, became one of the latest U.S. police agencies to partner with Ring in March
A data map of the 231 police agencies across the U.S. that have entered partnerships with Ring
El Monte Police couldn’t immediately confirm how much taxpayer money they spent on the 20 Ring cameras the department purchased to give away to local residents who provide specific information on criminals the department is looking to identify.
The retail price for Ring’s video doorbell is $99.99. Users who want footage stored must pay a monthly charge that starts at $3. Ring says it stores recordings for two months unless users delete them.
Police agencies that enter deals with Ring gain access to the company’s, ‘Law Enforcement Neighborhoods Portal,’ an interactive map police can use to request Ring camera footage from anyone in their community.
Individual Ring camera owners must give police permission in order for investigators to access footage, but police do not need a warrant to request footage from owners.
A woman’s image captured on a Ring camera. Police agencies that enter deals with Ring gain access to the company’s, ‘Law Enforcement Neighborhoods Portal,’ an interactive map police can use to request Ring camera footage from anyone in their community
A Ring camera catches two males looking someone’s home. Individual Ring camera owners must give police permission in order for investigators to access footage, but police do not need a warrant to request footage from owners
‘We don’t go in and look at video. We simply send out a request. If they’re willing to share with us, that’s a tool we’re willing to use,’ El Monte Police Sgt. Jake Fisher said Friday.
Ring’s Neighbors app gives users crime and safety alerts from local law enforcement and other Ring users in their community.
Law enforcement agencies across the nation have said they decided to partner with Ring after the company promoted its product at law enforcement conferences, according to the Associated Press.
A Ring spokesperson told DailyMail.com that the company did not encourage El Monte Police to do their Ring Reward Program and that police do not have access to the footage – only customers do.
Ring told the Daily Mail it did not encourage El Monte Police to do their Ring Reward Program and that Ring does not encourage law enforcement agencies to use funds in this manor
Two men’s images are captured on a Ring camera at a homeowner’s front door. Ring’s Neighbors app gives users crime and safety alerts from local law enforcement and other Ring users in their community
‘Privacy, security and user control are extremely important to us,’ the company said.
‘Our customers always have control of the footage and data that they want to share with law enforcement. That does not mean police have access to those devices. If there’s a crime that’s occurred and police want the public’s help solving the crime, they can send out a request through Ring. Police don’t have access to our cameras. The customers have control.’
Amazon’s purchase of Ring was finalized on April 12, 2018.
Fisher had no comment on whether a developing omnipresence of Ring cameras in neighborhoods nationwide is a privacy concern.
‘That’s getting into a larger conversation above the scope of what we’re involved in,’ he said. ‘I know we have used [the neighborhoods portal]. It’s a way to engage the community to see if they can help us. It’s a semi-technologically advanced crime fighting measures. It’s a great opportunity to utilize technology to help solve crimes.’