Latest news with #RingCamera
Forbes
3 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
LA Residents Foil ICE Raids Using Amazon Ring's Neighborhood Watch App
Neighbors, an app originally designed for Ring doorbell users, is typically used by people looking for lost pets or missing packages. But last week, horrified by ICE raids in and around Los Angeles, residents started using the Amazon app to alert their communities to immigration agents carrying out searches and arrests. 'It was very grassroots and it's become a tool being used by people just trying to help keep neighbors safe,' said Nic, a Southern California resident whose full name isn't being published to protect her safety. While social media sites and Nextdoor have been used to highlight ICE activity across the U.S. in recent days, Neighbors has been especially popular, with dozens of posts reviewed by Forbes over the last week. It allows anyone to post on safety issues in their locale and users can choose to include footage from their Ring doorbell cameras where relevant. As one community activist wrote on Facebook, 'Ring Camera is saving so many families' lives and proving citizens are being harassed and beat up.' People turned to Ring in particular around the L.A. protests, which began on June 7 in response to ICE mass arresting immigrants and became a political flashpoint as President Trump called in the National Guard and sent in Marines to clamp down on demonstrators. While Trump has slightly tempered the aggression of his immigration policies in recent days, saying he would pause 'work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture . . . restaurants and operating hotels,' per the New York Times, big cities like L.A. would continue to be the focus of ICE's efforts. 'Even as an American born citizen whose family goes back generations on both sides, I'm nervous about the possibility of coming across ICE.' Neighbors users remained vigilant in posts reviewed by Forbes over the last week, which featured photos and videos of ICE agents, including their locations and, in numerous cases, their vehicle type. Some posts had information on ICE agents near stores like Dollar Tree, McDonald's, Starbucks and Target. Two alerted communities to ICE operation near elementary schools. Others claimed that construction workers were being apprehended at sites across L.A., including a Home Depot, in a June 10 post that was subsequently deleted (the L.A. protests began after immigration agents were spotted near a Home Depot in Paramount, though there was no actual raid at the store). Many of these alerts feature the ice cube emoji as shorthand for immigration officials. 'Just trying to keep everyone safe,' wrote one user, who was warning about ICE agents potentially heading to L.A.'s MacArthur Park, after receiving a notice from her kid's school. 'Be safe everyone,' said another, alerting Neighbors users to ICE officers at a recreation center. Forbes spoke to three people who used the Amazon-owned app over the last week around the L.A. protests. 'My neighborhood is very diverse, I don't know everyone but many of us are people of color and I assume, some are immigrants, possibly undocumented,' Nic said. 'Even as an American born citizen whose family goes back generations on both sides, I'm nervous about the possibility of coming across ICE.' She said it's been helpful to know what parts of Los Angeles to avoid. 'I feel like in a time when things are so unfamiliar and scary, small peaks of hope are helpful,' she told Forbes, saying that she'd seen users posting reminders of people's rights and recommendations not to open doors to ICE agents who didn't have warrants. 'I live in a Hispanic neighborhood and am trying to raise awareness to keep families safe,' Jennifer, a Neighbors user from Orange County, told Forbes. 'I feel strongly about the constitution, due process and that America is a country full of migrants.' She said Nextdoor had also been helpful for spreading similar information. The LA Times last week reported on citizens using that app to alert others to ICE raids, and Forbes reviewed many posts on Nextdoor warning about immigration operations over recent days. Not every Neighbors post has been in support of the immigrant community, with numerous examples of users cheering the ICE raids. 'I live in a pretty red part of Southern California, so of course under the warning posts there are the gross comments where people were saying, 'Hooray! Go get the illegals,'' said Nic. The Neighbors activity viewed by Forbes over the last week poses a dilemma for the Amazon-owned company. Ring prohibits any posts likely to inflame tensions between users, including those discussing politics and 'highly debated social issues.' A Ring spokesperson said those rules haven't changed, declining to provide further comment. ICE didn't respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Nextdoor said it too prohibited 'political discussions,' though declined to comment on any specific moderation of users flagging ICE raids. 'Nextdoor has over 300,000 volunteer community moderators, combined with Nextdoor's own operations team, to ensure that content that violates guidelines is quickly removed,' they added. It appears Amazon is actively moderating posts around the ICE raids. A number that had warned of ICE presence across L.A. last week have been removed. They included a warning about imminent raids at thrift stores in the city and another about ICE presence at a public community college in Lancaster, California. Another user, who asked to remain anonymous, said the posts were '70% helpful and 30% vague or fake.' 'I worry about people posting just to scare people,' they told Forbes. There are good reasons to be careful when posting on Neighbors or Nextdoor. While Ring did remove a feature where police could request doorbell camera footage through the Neighbors app last year, police can obtain information on users with a court order. Search warrants and subpoenas could be used to demand data from any business with information on those protesting ICE's actions. Emily Baker-White and Alan Ohnsman contributed reporting.
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Dispute over mangos leads to arrest after gun pulled in Miami, police say
A man is facing serious charges after allegedly threatening another man with a gun during a dispute over picking mangos, according to Miami Police. The incident, captured on a Ring camera, unfolded Monday shortly before 3 p.m. at a residence in the 2700 block of NW 5th Street, police said. Police said Rodrigo Mendizabal, 29, faces charges of aggravated assault on a person 65 or older with a deadly weapon and improper exhibition of a firearm. What led to the arrest, according to police The altercation began when the victim, who was driving by, noticed a mango tree and sought permission to pick some fruit, the report said. The victim told the responding officer that a woman at the residence allowed him to take mangos, according to the arrest report. After some time, the woman grew impatient and called Mendizabal to address the victim's delay. The victim explained he had permission and the woman confirmed she allowed him to take two or three mangos, according to the police report. As the victim walked toward his vehicle to leave, Mendizabal followed him to the sidewalk, pulled out a black gun, racked the slide and said, "I'm going to shoot you," the victim told police. The victim, in fear, continued to his vehicle, but Mendizabal allegedly followed, pointed the firearm again and opened the victim's front passenger door while aiming the weapon, the report said. The victim told Mendizabal he would leave and asked to be allowed to drive off, police said. Ring camera shows Medizabal grabbing gun Mendizabal, who was detained exiting the residence, allowed officers to review his Ring camera footage, which showed him grabbing a gun from his pocket and racking the slide near the victim's vehicle, police reported. A detective spoke with the victim, whose account on body-worn camera corroborated his earlier statement, police said. Mendizabal denied pointing a gun at the victim but admitted owning one inside his home, according to the report.
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Man arrested for pulling gun on elderly man in mango dispute, Miami police say
A man is facing serious charges after allegedly threatening an elderly man with a gun during a dispute over picking mangos, according to Miami Police. The incident, captured on a Ring camera, unfolded Monday shortly before 3 p.m. at a residence in the 2700 block of NW 5th Street, police said. Police said Rodrigo Mendizabal, 29, faces charges of aggravated assault on a person 65 or older with a deadly weapon and improper exhibition of a firearm. What led to the arrest, according to police The altercation began when the victim, who was driving by, noticed a mango tree and sought permission to pick some fruit, the report said. The victim told the responding officer that a woman at the residence allowed him to take mangos, according to the arrest report. After some time, the woman grew impatient and called Mendizabal to address the victim's delay. The victim explained he had permission and the woman confirmed she allowed him to take two or three mangos, according to the police report. As the victim walked toward his vehicle to leave, Mendizabal followed him to the sidewalk, pulled out a black gun, racked the slide and said, "I'm going to shoot you," the victim told police. The victim, in fear, continued to his vehicle, but Mendizabal allegedly followed, pointed the firearm again and opened the victim's front passenger door while aiming the weapon, the report said. The victim told Mendizabal he would leave and asked to be allowed to drive off, police said. Ring camera shows Medizabal grabbing gun Mendizabal, who was detained exiting the residence, allowed officers to review his Ring camera footage, which showed him grabbing a gun from his pocket and racking the slide near the victim's vehicle, police reported. A detective spoke with the victim, whose account on body-worn camera corroborated his earlier statement, police said. Mendizabal denied pointing a gun at the victim but admitted owning one inside his home, according to the report.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Resident captures startling footage of large, unexpected visitor rummaging through trash: 'It was kind of surreal'
A Pennsylvania homeowner's Ring camera captured terrifying footage of a massive black bear rummaging through the trash at several homes, sparking concern among residents. As WPVI reported, residents of a neighborhood in Chester County said they spotted a bear wandering through the streets and sniffing around people's trash bins in early May. Resident Gina Amann was alerted to the unexpected visitor late one night when their dog started barking. "Then the Ring camera went off, and I saw the bear walking across the front yard," Amann said. "It was kind of surreal, actually." Several other homeowners reported seeing pawprints in their driveways, garbage cans knocked over, and a large figure "bolting down the fence line," as resident Ben Punch explained. The next day, he called the local game commission to report the incident. Officials said: "It's very rare to get any kind of bear activity in northern Chester County." Officials told 6ABC that around 75% of Pennsylvania has bears, but they're not common in the southeastern corner of the state where the bear in the video was spotted. Worldwide, more people are reporting sightings of bears near neighborhoods, farmlands, and even busy urban environments, as they seek easily accessible food sources. Several factors are contributing to this concerning trend, including habitat loss, human population growth, and resource shortages resulting from climate change. As humans encroach on bears' territory, it increases the risk of dangerous human-wildlife conflicts, property damage, and euthanizations if the animals injure people. Newsweek detailed that in 2022, more than 46,000 incidents involving bears were reported to state agencies, with interactions on the rise in 18 U.S. states. One older woman near Lake Tahoe suffered a fatal attack by a black bear last year, marking the first deadly bear encounter in California. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Wildlife officials were forced to kill three black bears that had bitten and dragged a Tennessee resident from her porch. Luckily, she walked away unharmed. Black bears have also been spotted on the back porches of Florida homes and roaming around Maryland neighborhoods in search of food. However, by protecting our shared environment through conservation efforts, we can minimize these unwanted encounters with bears and other large animals, ensuring they can thrive in their natural habitats. According to 6ABC, the Pennsylvania Game Commission recommends that people feed pets inside, pack away trash, and remove bird feeders to deter bears. If you see a bear on your property or anywhere close by, keep your distance and make yourself look as large as possible, perhaps by holding a large object or waving your arms to show the animal you're not an easy target. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced threatened grizzly bears to their native habitats in Montana and Idaho, which will benefit the animals and keep them away from human communities. In Spain, the local government introduced a method to protect both bears and people, telling locals to call a hotline if they spot a bear. Then, rangers will respond and use nonlethal weapons such as rubber-ball shotguns to encourage them to return home. If you'd like to help local bear populations, consider participating in habitat restoration efforts with wildlife organizations or donating to charities that support these causes. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Shoppers empty shelves of Ring camera as price drops below £20 in rare deal
BARGAIN hunters have gone wild for a big Ring product price drop that's quickly disappearing from shelves. Shoppers are managing to save £30 on the home security gadget, which is landing into baskets for only £19 instead. The offer is available at B&Q. But stock appears to be dwindling fast so you'll have to check your local store for one. The model up for sale is the Ring 2nd Gen Wireless Indoor Smart camera in white which usually costs £49. It offers all the features Ring users love, such as the ability to watch live and remotely talk back to people - or pets. If you have a Ring subscription it'll record videos and store them in the cloud for you too just like the doorbell device. As the name states, this is the indoor version of the Ring camera, meaning it doesn't have suitable waterproofing to be used outside. However, they are popular for directing outside from a window, or monitoring pets when you're not home. It also has a 140 degree viewing angle and 9m night vision range. There's a privacy cover too so users can physically stop it from recording videos. Warning to criminals as new Ring doorbell AI feature makes it even easier to catch you "Great price," one shopper wrote on HotUKDeals. "These are great devices for monitoring an elderly relative with dementia." Another commented: "The App is still showing quite a few in stock around my area." However, some users have reported that their order was cancelled due to quick-selling stock, so keep an eye on local store stock. All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase. Here are your options... Basic – £4.99 monthly / £49.99 a year Ring description: "Get the basics with video event playback and smarter notifications." Up to 180 days of Video Event History Person and Package Alerts Video Preview Alerts 10% off purchases Standard – £7.99 monthly / £79.99 a year Ring description: "An elevated Ring experience with enhanced features and helpful automations." Everything in Basic Covers all your devices at one location Doorbell Calls Extended Live View Alarm Cellular Backup Daily Event Summary Premium – £15.99 monthly / £159.99 a year Ring description: "Get everything you need with our most advanced video and security features." Everything in Standard Covers all your devices at one location 24/7 Recording Continuous Live View Smart Video Search
