Upper Darby Police and 400 other police departments nationwide are hoping a new partnership with the doorbell camera company Ring will help reduce crime, writes Julie Shaw for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

That partnership was tested over the summer when someone was stealing security cameras from Drexel Hill homes.

Upper Darby police identified the alleged culprit through video footage shared by residents with Ring doorbell cameras.

The Ring cameras “helped solve a crime,” said Upper Darby Detective Chris Karr.

Detective Karr said Upper Darby police take privacy concerns very seriously when checking video footage.

“We can’t tell who has any surveillance system unless we specifically see it. We don’t have access to Ring’s database.”

Police obtain Ring videos in two ways, Karr said: They can knock on someone’s door and if the resident consents, the resident can email the video link to police.

Police also can send a message through Ring’s Neighbors app seeking video in a certain area.

Ring makes it easier for residents to share video, he said, emphasizing that “the homeowner has to give explicit permission” for the police to see the video and can decline requests.

Read more about the police, RING partnership here.

photo credit: SnaPsi Сталкер <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/27515494@N02/3925435964″>Surveillance</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>(license)</a>

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