NCSO joins with Neighbors from Ring

Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti announced the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office has joined Neighbors, which is Ring’s app-based neighborhood watch program. The Neighbors app has the ability to alert users to crime and safety events within a radius of up to 5 miles of their home, and allows them to share videos or information about crime and safety events in their neighborhood anonymously.

The NCSO will view what local residents have posted publicly to Neighbors, and can now chime-in with relevant crime or safety alerts to help residents stay informed.

Users do not need a Ring device to join Neighbors. Anyone with a smartphone can download the Neighbors app in order to receive updates, and have the option to post narratives, photos or videos from their device. Neighbors app users may choose to share tips or video recordings when the NCSO utilizes the video request feature while seeking information relevant to an investigation.

These videos or still images from a user’s home security cameras would be shared privately with the NCSO, and the length of the video is entirely under the control of the Neighbors user.

Filicetti said, “Neighbors will allow the sheriff’s office to quickly reach out to our community during important investigations. Requests for surveillance video and witnesses will occur at the click of a button, saving our Investigators both time and reducing the need to physically walk door-to-door searching for evidence. Neighbors is an excellent way to continue our neighborhood watch initiatives within our community.”

The Neighbors app is available for free on all major application stores.

NCSO said “Neighbors does not replace the need to contact law enforcement when a crime occurs. To file a report regarding an incident, residents must contact the sheriff’s office at 716-438-3393 or 911 in an emergency.”