Hazlet Police Partner With Ring Neighbors App

HAZLET, NJ — On Friday, Hazlet Deputy Police Chief Ted Wittke announced that the department partnered with the Ring Neighbors app. This enables residents who have the Ring security cameras to upload and share their video footage with Hazlet police.

This can help prevent crime, and help police make arrests, particularly in incidents such as "porch pirating"/package theft to more serious crimes such as burglary, domestic violence, home invasions and vandalism. Ring doorbell cameras have also captured car accidents and even found lost pets.

Privacy is important: This program does not allow access to any camera footage without the owner’s permission, stressed Hazlet police.

"A few days ago the Hazlet Police Department went on board, giving supervisors and detectives in the department access to the Neighbors' Portal," said Hazet police in a statement.

"The benefits of joining together with Neighbors by Ring are obvious, as several cases of criminal activity, motor vehicle accidents and other incidents have been successfully solved due to the ability to view footage users have shared from those who have security cameras on their premises," the department continued. "But now, through our membership in Neighbors by Ring, finding helpful footage has been enhanced by our ability to work with the community utilizing the power of social media, instant communication with our residents, and more expedited canvassing for video."

Said Hazlet police: "Our residents’ rights to privacy and the privacy of the Neighbors by Ring users are of the utmost importance to the Hazlet Township Police Department. We would like to assure our residents that this program does not allow any access to camera footage without the owner’s permission." Here’s what it does do:

1. Allows us to interact on a social media network with members of our community who are using the free Neighbors app.

2. Allows us to send out requests for videos in targeted geographical areas and specific time frames to assist in the investigation of crime or any other incident that would warrant police involvement.

3. Allows the residents in our community another avenue of communication with the police department.

4. Creates a cooperative relationship between the police and residents for the peace and safety of our township.

In other words, through this program, the community will be able to work together, sharing pertinent footage as appropriate from the many camera systems throughout our township. The combination will provide a benefit greater than the sum of its many parts.

Some of the crimes that our residents’ cameras have helped us solve include vehicle burglaries, home burglaries, thefts, trespassing, domestic violence, illicit drug activity and assault by auto.

"The Hazlet Police department is a proactive community oriented department," said Wittke. "We care about our residents and we are always looking for new and innovative ways to assure the quality of life and ways in which we can solve crimes and enhance the security of our community. Joining with Neighbors by Ring is a significant step in achieving those goals."