Ring Doorbell made big news in February 2018, when the world’s richest person Jeff Besos, founder and CEO of Amazon, bought the Ring company for a whopping price of $1 billion. It made even bigger news last July 2019, when word spread that Amazon had entered into surveillance agreements with hundreds of police departments across the U.S. using the Ring Neighbors app.
Although the collaboration with local law enforcements drew controversy, many homeowners are more than happy to know their Ring doorbell cameras are connected to their local police department. After all, it gives them the extra assurance that their properties are being closely monitored by the police for suspicious activities. Moreover, it can ease their anxiety in case some intruder does try to enter their home; knowing that the Neighbors app can also alert the local police. .
What’s the Fuss about Amazon’s Ring Partnership with Police Authorities
The Ring partnership with law enforcement agencies gives police departments access via the Ring Neighbors app. It is the application that allows homeowners to interact with their Ring doorbell from any Wi-Fi connected location. It also gives them the option to involve their neighbors and the police in monitoring video footage taken by their Ring Doorbell camera. Amazon’s agreement includes allowing U.S. law enforcement agencies to use surveillance video footage as supplementary resource in solving crimes.
One of the controversial aspects of the agreement though is that local police departments are incentivized to promote and push sales of Ring doorbells among community residents. Motherboard, an enterprise mainly engaged in recycling e-wastes, said that in Lakeland, Florida, the police department received 15 free video doorbell cams as incentive for the Neighborhood Watch app agreement. In addition, the Lakeland police agency receives $10 worth of credit that works toward receiving another free doorbell cam worth $135, from the Ring company.
The Decision to Buy a Ring Doorbell Still Rests on the Consumer
Consumers who buy a doorbell outfitted with video cameras are doing so because they are looking to add security to their home. Now if the doorbell’s video camera works with a smartphone app, homeowners are assured that everyone in their household will be opening the door only to people they know, or at least receive confirmation about a particular visitor before letting him or her in.
Actually, even before the Ring agreement with police agencies, the Ring Neighbors app, gives doorbell and app users the option to give access to their neighbors. That way, they can watch each other’s backs in monitoring suspicious characters prowling around their neighborhood.
Formally involving the local police in the neighborhood watch appears to be better, because having a Ring Doorbell in one’s home will already serve as a deterrent. It is likely that criminals will think twice before getting anywhere near a house with a Ring Doorbell, since there is a possibility that the local police will be able to spot them instantly via the Ring Neighbors app.
So if a community resident is in the process of comparing the pros and cons of a Ring 2 vs Ring Pro, he or she may decide on buying the Ring Pro Doorbell. Despite the Ring Pro’s wired set up, this model gives them additional security features via the Ring Neighbors app.