Oceanside police team up with security firm

SAN DIEGO — The video is crystal clear: A woman hops off her bicycle, runs up to a house and grabs a box off the porch. In a flash, she dashes back to the sidewalk, tosses the package into the front basket of her accomplice’s bicycle and they pedal off. A clean getaway? Well, not really. The doorbell security camera on the Oceanside home captured every detail of the Nov. 5 theft, in color.

Later, when the couple living in the home reviewed the video, they decided to share it through the Ring Neighbors app to let others know there were package thieves in the area.

Turns out, Oceanside police were able to use the video to identify the pair. They are now seeking arrest warrants in the case and “arrests are imminent,” said Oceanside police Sgt. John McKean, who oversees property and financial crime investigations.

The Oceanside Police Department is only the second police agency in California to partner with the Ring Neighbors app. The first was the Ventura County Sheriff ’s Department, Ring spokesman Morgan Culbertson said.

Oceanside police officials stress the city is not endorsing a product or the purchase of any products. Rather, they see the partnership as a valuable tool that gives them access to videos shared by potentially thousands of city residents.

Ring, acquired this year by Amazon, launched the Neighbors app about six months ago. It creates a type of digital community similar to a neighborhood watch operation, company officials say.

The app, available on Android and iOS devices, allows users to access crime and safety information within a 5-mile radius of their homes. They can view security videos shared by users and communicate with others via text-based messages.

Dozens of law enforcement agencies in Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, Maryland, Missouri, Illinois and California have joined so far, Culbertson said. The company hopes to enter into agreements with others.

McKean said about 6,000 Oceanside residents have signed up to use the app, including about 4,000 who have Ring surveillance cameras.

Police do not have the ability to turn on cameras or review video in real time. They can see videos that have been posted and search specific time frames to see if anyone posted a video on a certain date, anywhere in the city.

McKean said that means officers may not have to go door-to-door in an area where a crime occurred to ask whether residents have surveillance video.