Neighbors app is new way SBPD will connect with LWers
The Seal Beach Police Department has joined Neighbors, a free app by Ring, as of July 21. The Seal Beach Police Department will now be able to use Neighbors as a new way to connect with residents at the local level to provide valuable safety information.
Neighbors is a free and simple app that helps community members stay informed of local incidents and share neighborhood safety updates, while keeping their privacy protected.
Neighbors brings residents together to have safety conversations and engage with their local public safety agencies on the app in their area to make their neighborhoods safer.
The app is available for anyone to use with or without a Ring device.
Having an effective and easy means of hyper-local communication with residents is central to public safety and why the Seal Beach Police Department has decided to join Neighbors in its effort to serve the community.
The Seal Beach Police Department is now even better positioned to notify residents of a nearby safety incident, or share proactive tips and emergency preparedness information ahead of time.
It’s important to note that local public safety officials do not have access to user cameras, live streams or personal information when using Neighbors.
When an individual user chooses to post a video or comment on the app, they are identified only as “Neighbor #” and the location of posts are obscured to protect user privacy.
Public safety officials are always identified by their last names and agencies when using Neighbors, and can view and comment as well as share posts to the app in their jurisdiction.
Residents can learn more about the Neighbors app and how public safety agencies use the Neighbors Public Safety Service by visiting Ring’s website and the Neighbors Public Safety Service homepage.
How to Use Neighbors
• Download the Neighbors app: Residents do not need a Ring device to join Neighbors and can text “JoinToday” to 555888 or visit the app store from their smartphones to download the Neighbors app for free on iOS, Android and FireOS devices.
• Join Your Neighborhood: Once downloaded, users can join their neighborhood, share crime and safety-related videos, photos and textbased posts; and receive safety alerts and updates from their neighbors, local police and fire departments as well as from the Ring team.
• Customize Alerts: Users can adjust their settings and select the alert categories most relevant to them.
• Join the Conversation: Users decide what content to share and whether or not they wish to engage with other users, including local police and fire departments, on the app.
“We’re excited to use this application to help keep the community safe,” said Seal Beach Chief of Police Philip L. Gonshak. “If a crime or other incident is captured on video, this will make it easier for the community to share that evidence with our investigators.”
About Ring
Since its founding in 2013, Ring has been on a mission to make neighborhoods safer.
The home security and smart home company is owned by Amazon. Ring manufactures home security products that incorporate outdoor motion-detecting cameras, including Ring Video Doorbell. It hosts the app, Neighbors, for online social sharing of captured footage among users.
For questions about this app or other innovative ways that the Seal Beach Police Department uses technology to keep the community safe, contact Sgt. Nick Nicholas at (562) 799-4100, ext. 1160, or nnicholas@sealbeachca.gov.
