RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The doorbell video company Ring recently did away with its “Request for Assistance” tool, which allowed police officers to request video directly from neighbors using an app.
Since its launch in 2017, the Ring doorbell has proven to do more than just let you know who is at your front door — it’s also helped investigators solve crimes. But after conversations about protection versus privacy, the doorbell company decided to make a change.
Previously, law enforcement agencies could request video from residents using the Request for Assistance tool on the Neighbors app. The company released the following statement on its website, announcing that the tool was being done away with:
“We are also sunsetting the Request for Assistance (RFA) tool. Public safety agencies like fire and police departments can still use the Neighbors app to share helpful safety tips, updates, and community events. They will no longer be able to use the RFA tool to request and receive video in the app. Public safety agency posts are still public, and will be available for users to view on the Neighbors app feed and on the agency’s profile.“
Now, fire and police departments will have to rely on other methods, such as using other platforms, going door to door or reaching out to customers directly to use the video.
Captain Anthony Jackson with the Richmond Police Department said the department has used the tool in the past to help with investigations.
“Video is one of the best types of evidence we have,” Jackson said. “When we have it … we capture a crime and we capture a suspect on camera — it’s hard to refute that evidence of wrongdoing.”
Despite this change, Jackson said his department will continue to request video from neighbors.
“I’m not too concerned about it — yes, it’s going to make us a little less efficient, it’s going to make it a little harder or a little less convenient for citizens … But, at the end of the day, we’re still going to do what we’re going to do,” Jackson said.
Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union have expressed privacy concerns, worried about how doorbell video can be used. While this change is an improvement, the American Civil Liberties Union believes customers are still at risk so long as they can share video at all.
“Until regulators step in to manage how corporations treat the private information of their customers, Ring cameras are just one of the surveillance technologies that have the power to expose people’s private lives, chill their speech, and trample on their privacy,” said a spokesperson from ACLU.
