Residents of the City of Santa Clarita in the state of California may now avail of a $100 discount on select doorbells and cameras manufactured by Ring Inc. The discount is part of the program of the city government to reduce crime rates in the city. Crime rates have increased in the area after a legislation decreased the jail time served by individuals found guilty of non-violent crimes like theft. After an increase in the incidences of burglary and other petty crimes was observed, the city government collaborated with Ring Inc. to fund a new project, called the Ring Doorbell and Camera Rebate Program.
The program has a budget of $50,000, and it is jointly funded by both the City of Santa Clarita and Ring Inc. It offers a $100 rebate in the form of discount codes to 500 households that will purchase doorbells and cameras sold by Ring Inc. Included in the list of discounted doorbells and cameras are the Ring Video Doorbell 2, Video Doorbell Pro, Spotlight Cam Battery, Spotlight Cam Wired, and Floodlight Cam. In addition, homeowners also have a chance to receive another $30 discount on additional doorbells and cameras, and a 20-percent discount on accessories. The city government developed the rebate program in an effort to replicate the success achieved by the Los Angeles Police Department, which also collaborated with Ring to install its doorbells in 41 households in Wilshire Park. After the smart doorbells were installed, the number of home burglaries in the area decreased by as much as 55-percent.
However, the city government is reminding homeowners who will take advantage of the rebate program that they will have to pay $30 a year to record and save videos taken by the smart doorbells and cameras on the Ring mobile app. Homeowners who use Ring’s mobile application are also reminded not to share their usernames and passwords to prevent incidences of spying by ill-intentioned individuals. The device maker is instead advising consumers to take advantage of the “Shared Users” feature which allows homeowners to add people to their Ring account. Those added will have the ability to respond to alerts they receive and view stored video clips.