OPD Says New App Could Help Stop Burglars, Porch Pirates

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Would-be burglars and suspected porch pirates might just find it a bit harder to make a living from stealing from Oxford residents.

The Oxford Police Department has recently joined the Neighbors By Ring that will allow police to send alerts to residents of a potential crime occurring in their neighborhood and allows residents to post footage from their Ring devices to neighbors and police.

Oxford residents can see what types of crimes have been reported around their neighborhood.

According to Interim Police Chief Jeff McCutchen, residents do not have to purchase Ring products or subscribe to any service to become part of the network. They can simply download the free app.

McCutchen said OPD first realized the potential of joining Ring in the fall while investigating an assault that happened in an Oxford neighborhood.

“Our detectives were doing knock-and-talks and they found a resident that had a Ring camera,” he said. “We were able to piece together some of our investigation because this camera captured images almost at the time the crime was beginning to occur.”

McCutchen said the Ring app is another platform OPD can use to communicate with the community and receive and provide information in a streamlined fashion.

“You may not have been a victim of a burglary but that suspect might have come near your house and hit your neighbor,” he said. “And if there’s a camera, we can use that information to possibly prevent these crimes.”

The Ring app also displays local crime or emergency-related local news stories.

How It Works

• Download the Neighbors app on iOS or Android here.
• Opt-in to join your neighborhood.
• Customize the geographic area you want to receive notifications for (users must verify where they are located and cannot participate in other neighborhoods).
• Receive real-time alerts from your neighbors, local law enforcement and the Ring team that informs of crime and safety alerts as they happen.
• View local crime and safety posts via a live feed or interactive map.
• Share text updates, photos and videos taken on any device, including Ring’s home security devices.
  

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