Community Group Giving Out Ring Cameras To Promote Neighborhood Safety

A community group in Bartlesville is hoping to improve neighborhood safety by providing free Ring Cameras to citizens.

They just ask that you turn in any crime you see on video into the Bartlesville Police.

Washington County Community Council Director, John Werts said they came up with the idea to stop crime in neighborhoods as well as help neighbors look out for each other.

"If we have those extra eyes, if someone will turn it in, if they catch anything from a major crime to traffic in a neighborhood," he said.

The cameras will be installed on the house, not your doorbell.

Werts said people will own their camera outright and be reimbursed for the yearly subscription.

Captain Jay Hastings with Bartlesville Police said the departments wants to work with the community. This will help people protect their property and help police.

"They are really the eyes and ears, they are out there, they live in these neighborhoods, they know suspicious behavior," Hastings said.

Hastings said the only way the police will get the video is if the homeowner decides to share it with officers.

He said Ring Cameras have been a gamechanger in their investigations.

"A lot of time that gives us a missing piece that we're looking for. Sometimes we will see someone on video we can identify them. Most of the time it at least gives us a date and time when the crime occurred," he said.

Werts said the cameras are all purchased by donations to the council.

He hopes to one day have cameras installed on houses throughout the county.

"We're going to do this as a trial period and hopefully get a grant to buy more. The idea is to hopefully buy 500 cameras and put them in Washington County," he said.

You do have to fill out an application to get a Ring Camera.

You can find an application on the Washington County Community Council Facebook Page.