“This partnership has intentions of reducing neighborhood crimes by giving an eye into the security videos posted on the company’s phone application on the neighbor portal.”
DeKalb County is trying to crack down and take control of the crime rate by implementing a partnership with a smart home technology company. They are partnering with Ring. They are the makers of the video doorbell. Ring founder, Jamie Siminoff, got the idea for the doorbell when his wife complained that he could not hear the doorbell. He even went on to pitch his idea on Shark Tank. They turned down his offer. Luckily, that was not the end of his journey. The publicity enough was enough to keep his idea growing. In just one month, the Ring doorbell, in one month, brought in $1 million in sales.
Currently rated on Niche.com, they have a rating of a “C” when it comes to Crime and Safety. This partnership has intentions of reducing neighborhood crimes by giving an eye into the security videos posted on the company’s phone application on the neighbor portal. According to AJC’s article, “Residents can upload videos showing potential criminal activity in their community.”
Of course, there are reservations when this idea popped up. Mereda Davis Johnson, the committee chair and Commissioner, has concerns about how intrusive this new idea can be. She also has a concern about potential racial profiling that can occur through this new implementation. However, she does agree that it’s a good and useful system that can help assist the police. Ultimately, there seems to be pros and cons to this partnership. The intention is to help protect residents and make it easier for police to track and nip the neighborhood crime.
The Dekalb Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the partnership. The company will give DeKalb county 70 Ring cameras to give to county residents and business. They will donate more based on the number of app downloads. If you’re worried about personal security, there is no worry. The agreement will prohibit the company from giving personal information to the police without consent, a subpoena, or a search warrant.
Do you think this partnership could bring value to the police in helping them reduce the number or rates of neighborhood crime?