Neighbors is a free app designed to help residents connect with their communities and stay informed about what’s going on around them – whether they own a Ring device or not. We created Neighbors as a place for residents to share important local crime and safety information, and receive updates from official sources such as their local agencies. We believe when communities work together, safer neighborhoods can become a reality.
Local agencies can interact with residents on Neighbors using a tool called Neighbors Public Safety Service. Here are several ways local agencies can use Neighbors Public Safety Service:
Connect With the Community
Local agency users can view and comment on public Neighbors App posts within their jurisdiction to connect with and help members of the community. They can also create posts to provide communities with safety tips and other information, as well as invite community members to safety events.
Provide Updates From an Official Source
Local agencies can post updates to help their community stay informed about issues that may affect residents. They can also follow up to let residents know when an incident has been resolved to close the loop.
Work Together
‘Request for Assistance’ is a post category within Neighbors that enables public safety agencies to ask the public for help with an active investigation.
Public safety agencies may make a Request for Assistance post on Neighbors asking their community to assist with an investigation. Like any other post on Neighbors, we designed Request for Assistance posts to keep users in control and protect their privacy. Specifically:
- Public safety agencies never have direct access to users’ Ring devices, videos, or Neighbors accounts. Public safety agencies cannot view a user’s videos unless that user chooses to share them publicly on Neighbors or directly with the public safety agency in response to a Request for Assistance post.
- When a public safety agency submits a Request for Assistance post, Ring does not share user information with public agencies without the user’s express consent.
- Users decide if they want to share any of their personal information, including videos, with public safety agencies in response to a Request for Assistance post.
- Users are in complete control of how, when, and if they receive notifications for Request for Assistance posts. Users may update their settings through Control Center, including opting out of seeing Request for Assistance posts within Neighbors.
- Responding to a Request for Assistance post is entirely optional. Public agencies cannot see which users, if any, viewed a Request for Assistance post unless the user chooses to share video or information in response.
*Only public safety agencies are able to make Request for Assistance posts*