LA VISTA, Neb. (WOWT) - La Vista Police are days away from the start of an initiative involving Ring Doorbell cameras.
Time and time again the cameras have caught crooks in the act, and police said they could be even more powerful in numbers.
Police told 6 News that when they get on a scene, one of the first things they look for is sources of video, and Ring Doorbells have made gathering evidence easier.
La Vista Police's new program encourages community members to enter a data pool that shows police if they have a home video system.
"That way if an incident happens in their neighborhoods, we're going to be able to go to those residents who may have video evidence to help us help them and help their neighborhood," Police Chief Bob Lauston said.
He said that devices like Ring are encouraging people to notify police of crimes that otherwise would have gone unreported.
"If they see something here, they're letting us know because we want to know whether they take something or not because that can establish a pattern in a neighborhood," Lauston said.
Some people already rely on their neighbors' home security to help bolster their own.
Joseph Evans has been chasing the same man off of his property for weeks.
"The alert was going ding, ding ding, Three in the morning, four in the morning," he explained.
The thief has been stealing electrical wiring.
"It's just an ongoing thing and it's like I'm violated in my own home," Evans said.
He and his neighbors on either side all have home security. When they catch the thief in action they share the information between each other an police, helping law enforcement establish the pattern.
"If we can get a lead, a tip, a description, that helps us a long way down the road to solving the crime," Lauston said.
La Vista Police will roll out the initiative at La Vista Days.
Chief Lauston encourages anyone with questions to bring them to officers at the event.
Gloss