The Wilkes-Barre Police Department announced its participation in the Neighbors smartphone app program back in March, and residents have posted dozens of videos and photos related to crime and safety issues since then.
Amazon-owned Ring, a brand of popular home video surveillance cameras, provides Neighbors as a free tool for communities to connect and share valuable safety information — whether or not they own a Ring device.
Millions of residents in communities across the U.S. have joined Neighbors and use it to receive real-time, hyper-local safety updates from fellow users and the local government and public safety agencies that serve them, according to the company.
For example, Wilkes-Barre police posted a request on April 21 asking for any video footage of "suspicious individuals, especially those checking door handles on or breaking into vehicles."
Several residents replied to the post with comments and questions, and a detective replied with additional information, including the time and location — between midnight and 7 a.m. in South Wilkes-Barre.
"People sent video and the crime was solved," Police Chief Joseph Coffay said in an email.
A user's video posted May 29 shows a man walking onto the front porch and looking in the resident's mailbox.
"We are constantly looking for ways to partner with citizens to investigate and deter criminal activity. We inquired about the app because when a crime is committed, we are always looking for video which is great evidence in any crime. It's an information sharing app so that citizens can provide information and we can request any assistance from the public. It is voluntary on their part," Coffay said.
Locally, the Kingston and Larksville police departments are also signed up for the app.
The Neighbors online web app includes a map with pins showing approximate locations of incidents within a geographic area of a user's choosing that the user can click for information. There is also a newsfeed, similar to that of social media apps, with posts from others who have selected the same or a nearby geographic area, local police departments that participate in the program and the Neighbors Team.
The company posts safety-related messages such as dangerous weather alerts and links to local news stories about significant crimes within the geographic area.
City police also used the app recently to post an alert about a missing person. Many residents have posted photos of missing or found pets, as well as video of dogs running loose around neighborhoods.
Mary Ellen Jones, president of Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch, said she has security cameras on her home, and has copied videos onto a thumb drive to hand over to police in the past.
"I think it's a very good idea for people to get involved with their cameras. When you have that evidence, it makes the case stronger against the criminals. I think that type of app is a good one. I 100% agree with it," Jones said.
Some civil liberties and digital privacy organizations have expressed privacy and discrimination concerns over apps such as Neighbors and an app put out by the Nest security camera company as well.
Consumer Reports has reported that law enforcement never has access to your cameras or devices, regardless of whether you share video with them.
"No matter who makes your security camera or video doorbell—whether it's Ring, Google Nest, Arlo, etc. — the police can still knock on your door and ask for footage. Of course at that point, you can still decline to provide them with footage," according to Consumer Reports. "But if they really want that footage, they could try to get it by serving you with a warrant or subpoena."
© 2023 The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
