Bowie Residents Get $50 If They Install, Register Security Camera

BOWIE, MD —Bowie police think home security cameras can help the department fight crime. The city started offering an incentive to residents willing to help out.

Anybody who installs an outdoor home security camera is eligible for a $50 rebate, the city announced Thursday. The program is open to locals who set up their camera on or after Nov. 17.

Most of the initiative focuses on the Neighbors app from Ring, a home security company. The Bowie Police Department has an account on the app that lets residents share video with them.

When officers need information on a crime, they can send out video requests to registered users nearby. The neighbors can share their footage, decline the request or ignore the email.

Applicants must agree to the terms of service, submit their receipt and send a picture of their installed camera. Each household may only claim one rebate.

Locals can sign up, get the rebate and then decline any video requests from police, if they so wish. Registering for the program does not grant any Bowie entity access to your camera. It only puts your name into a database that police may contact if a crime happens nearby.

Residents can still sign up if their camera isn't made by Ring. They just won't be able to share their video through the Neighbors app.

You don't need to have a Ring device to download the Neighbors app either. Non-Ring users can still use the app and view local chatter without linking a camera.

More information on the rebate is available at this link. Anybody with question can call (240) 544-5793 or (240) 544-5797.

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