East Canyon Country — Ring, the wifi doorbell company recently purchased by Amazon, has announced the latest version of their app, “Neighbors by Ring.” The app allows Santa Clarita residents to report crime, or suspicious activity, and alert nearby neighbors. If you have one of the Ring camera products, you can also attach a video to go along with your report. One resident, Don, 67 of Canyon Country, praised the app, saying “it’s great! I can alert my neighbors to a black person being present, without having to actually converse with them!”

The app isn’t limited to alerting neighbors of black persons either, it allows reports of virtually all people of color. Margaret Jones, who usually keeps watch out her front window in Friendly Valley, finds the app useful. “Why just a few minutes ago I reported a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were going door to door. Last week, there was a young Mexican fellow looking into people’s windows, probably casing the joint.” Video provided by Jones showed a Hispanic male in a company uniform cutting her grass. “These are dangerous times, you gotta keep an eye out” continued Jones.

Other videos seen on the app include an African American Male, clearly driving an Uber/Lyft, and going slowly while reading addresses on houses to find his pickup. Another video showed a Filipino Woman, reported as “stealing mail” in the app, was merely at the cluster mailboxes for the apartment building, picking up her mail.

Since the app launched, the Santa Clarita Sheriffs has seen a 4000% increase in calls.

SCVAPT Contributor