The Township of Washington Police Department has partnered with Ring, the video doorbell manufacturer, to participate in their Neighbors app!!!! The Neighbors app is a free way for residents to receive real-time local crime and safety updates directly from their smartphones and to share recorded video with the department. You do not need to have a Ring Device to be part of the Ring Neighbors App!!!
Ring launched the Neighbors app as part of their mission to support safer neighborhoods and more connected communities by creating a free tool for residents and local law enforcement to share real-time local crime and safety information whether or not they own a Ring device. Additional information can be found here. The Neighbors app network has millions of users across the nation and has already been instrumental in catching package thieves, stopping burglaries, and keeping neighborhoods safe. The Neighbors app is available for free on iOS, Android and FireOS devices. Residents can text “JOINTODAY” to 555888 from their smartphone to receive a link to download the Neighbors app. Utilizing this App can possibly help prevent crime, and help police make arrests, particularly in incidents such as “porch pirating”/package theft to more serious crimes such as burglary, domestic violence, home invasions and vandalism. Ring doorbell cameras have also captured car accidents and even found lost pets.
Privacy is imperative. Joining the Neighbors app does not grant the police department access to your cameras or user data. The police department can only view content residents have publicly posted to the Neighbors app or that users decided to share with the police department in response to a specific request.
Once you have downloaded the App, residents can join their digital neighborhood and use the app to view neighborhood activity; share crime and safety-related videos, photos and text-based posts; and receive regional safety alerts from their neighbors, local law enforcement and selected crime and safety news sources-all in real time.
We can use the Neighbors app to send real-time alerts to residents in a particular area of town; provide updates about local crime and safety incidents; and to submit requests for video footage and information relevant to investigations in specific geographical areas of the Township. Law Enforcement participation on the Neighbors app is not a means of notifying us about incidents. This app is not meant to replace calling the department in an emergency or to report incidents etc. If you should see a crime occur or need any type of assistance, you must report the incident by calling 201-664-1140, or 9-1-1 if it is an emergency, rather than attempting to report it through any of our social media platforms. Again, our social media platforms are not to replace reporting it through phone/walk-ins, just an additional resource we are utilizing to engage with our residents. It should be noted we do not endorse RING or RING products.
If any resident wants, we also have a Residential and Commercial Security Survey that we offer to our residents. Additional information on this program can be found here.
Any questions about the Neighborhood App, please contact Cpl. Osenbruck at 201-664-1140 or by e-mailing him here.
As always, please follow us for updates on our website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
