Ring Develops Standalone Neighborhood Watch App

Smart doorbell and security camera maker Ring has launched a new standalone Neighbors app.

According to Venture Beat, the announcement comes just two months after Ring was acquired by Amazon for $1 billion.

The Neighbors app, available for Android and iOS, builds on Ring’s existing Neighborhoods feature. With this new offering, Ring hopes to create a community much like a neighborhood watch organization.

People can use the app to access local crime and safety information, view videos shared by Ring security camera owners, and share text-based messages as you would in a social network.

In addition, police departments and law enforcement services can sign up to Neighbors to share data through the app.

Ring actually partnered with the L.A. Police Department in 2016 to install Ring video doorbells in 10 percent of homes in select neighborhoods.

“Over the past few years, we have learned that when neighbors, the Ring team, and law enforcement all work together, we can create safer communities,” said Ring founder Jamie Siminoff. “Neighbors is meant to facilitate real-time communication between these groups while maintaining neighbor privacy first and foremost. By bringing security to every neighbor with the free Neighbors app, communities can stay on top of crime and safety alerts as they happen.”

Amazon announced in February that it was acquiring Ring, with a spokesperson noting that the company will “be able to achieve even more by partnering with an inventive, customer-centric company like Amazon. We look forward to being a part of the Amazon team as we work toward our vision for safer neighborhoods.”

While Amazon has been expanding more into the home security market, its Amazon Key camera and service have caused their own safety concerns. For now, the company is expected to maintain Ring as a standalone business, a past strategy with other acquisitions.

“Ring’s home security products and services have delighted customers since day one. We’re excited to work with this talented team,” said an Amazon spokesperson.