TAMPA, Fla. — Two weeks ago, Chris Perzanowski watched remotely as an unknown suspect stole his family's Amazon packages off his front porch.
The local doctor immediately uploaded the video to the Neighbors app, by Ring.
"It's excellent because you can share and then you can get a pattern and the police detectives who work the case was able to identify one individual," said Perzanowski.
According to the Tampa Police Department, the sharing of the video via the Neighbors app first between residents and then with police resulted in grand theft charges for Santiago Rodriguez of Tampa.
The app links neighborhoods by sending and receiving crime alerts and videos in real-time.
"Many of them had the same exact story to tell," said Tampa Police spokesman Steve Hegarty. "We realized, you know what, that's the guy in those other videos."
The case also led police to charge Rodriguez for stealing appliances and plumbing fixtures from a Ballast Point home under construction.
"This is a classic example of law enforcement working closely with the public and with a business to make the city safer," said Tampa Police Department Chief Brian Dugan. "The Neighbors app makes it easier for residents to look out for one another in their own communities and makes it easier for law enforcement to quickly identify and apprehend criminals."
