Los Angeles police officer who convinced their fellow worker to purchase products from Amazon ’s place security ship’s company , Ring , received recompense in the form of free and ignore Ring products , an musical arrangement that LAPD appears to deny outrage any rules against officers accepting paid endorsements .
Citing email between officers and company officials , the Los Angeles Times reportsthat Ring gave as many as 100 LAPD officers complimentary or discounted devices in substitution for persuade others to sign up for Ring ’s home surveillance service .
In some cases , the military officer - turned - brand - embassador reportedly helped deal fellow officers on buy Ring intersection for themselves , raising questions about whether rule around take gift or favors were break . The LAPD ’s code of ethics expressly prohibits officers from accept gifts of any kind from anyone if it might “ [ middling ] be interpreted as an endeavor to influence their actions . ”
A police officer stands with armed members of the National Guard facing protesters marching over the death of George Floyd on 1 May 2025 in Los Angeles, California.Photo: Frederic Brown (Getty Images)
Ring has sought partnerships with hundreds if not thousand ofpolice departments across the country , including the LAPD . The arrangements usually imply police back Ring publically , if not cautiously , to avoid rape rules that ban cops from bear as salesmen .
In exchange , Ring provided the departments access to an on-line platform , which allow them to solicit Ring tv camera footage directly from its customers — users of Ring crime - centrical social media app , Neighbors .
Gizmodo previouslyreportedon Ring offering law discounts in 2019 . constabulary in Ewing , New Jersey , for good example , were given code for $ 50 off , emails show .
Ring ’s law enforcement ambassador program — officially dubbed Pillar — was still in surgical procedure after retail giant Amazon acquired the companionship in 2018 . It was ended the following year .
email from 2016 published by the LA Times show senior LAPD officer using their study e-mail accounts to communicate with Ring ’s sales event faculty . The officer were supply flyer , discount cards , and other selling material , along with a “ promo computer code ” that allow Ring to trail which officers motivate the most ware .
“ If the code is used ten times then I will place you a Ring Video Doorbell for free . If the computer code is used 25 times I will transport you a Ring Video Doorbell , Stick Up Cam , Solar Panel , gong and innocent cloud for a twelvemonth for free , ” a Ring employee wrote in one email to an LAPD policeman .
In another e-mail , a older officer in LAPD ’s Olympic Division is shown reporting back to Ring that he ’d sold five of his fellow officers on purchase Ring devices at a public condom fair . In another , an officer is seen agreeing to advertize on Ring ’s behalf at a constabulary picnic in which 200 invitee were expected .
One detective of LAPD ’s Rampart Division is seen informing Ring that while his “ older ” neighbors are wary of the gadget , he ’s “ been keeping an oculus out ” for their kid , saying he plans to get them to convince their parents to corrupt the products .
At least 125 officers commune with Ring , the LA Times reports , bestow that “ only occasionally ” did officers interview the ethics behind the ambassador programme .
An LAPD spokesperson told the paper that a preliminary review of the e-mail showed no rules against paid endorsements had been violated because using deduction codes is “ in general not in battle with our Codes of Ethics . ”
Police officials certify Ring say its networked cameras not only warn minor offenses like parcel theft but now and then supply key evidence in case of major offence such as youngster abduction . Its detractor , meanwhile , say Ring is constructing a countrywide surveillance meshwork unanswerable to communities and administration .
Amazon ’s push to make Ring indispensable to daily police work has tie examination from secrecy and civil liberty group alarmed by reports of its datum - sharing practices and efforts to control what police section say about its mathematical product .
Ring has sought to ban constabulary statement to news exit , require section officials to obtain its marketing squad ’s approval before commenting publicly . As Gizmodo reported in 2019 , Ring had barred law in at least one city from using the Book “ surveillance ” to describe its product , claiming the term was potential to evoke “ drug user privacy concerns . ”
The company has taken some hardheaded step to alleviate worries . After hacker accessed anunknown numeral of its customers ’ camerasusing stolen parole in December 2019 , Ring pushed users to take up two - cistron hallmark — an redundant security step that , ideally , expect strong-arm access to the owner ’s cellular phone .
Most recently , Ring read it hadremoved the abilityof police to contact its customer directly by email to request accession to household footage — a mental process Ring had claim was anonymous , but in practice could paint some resident as defiant . ( Ring had once argued officer could n’t know which residents had Ring cameras , though they are typically visible from the street and some customers have given police their address in central for free ware and price reduction . )
Departments are now limited to post “ requests for aid ” on their profile page on Ring ’s neighborhood watch app , which includes new safeguards to prevent users from erroneously sharing footage outside the prescribed timeframe .
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