COVINGTON, LA — The Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office is hoping to capitalize on the growing network of doorbell and other security cameras in the parish. The department is partnering with the Neighbors by Ring app to help fight crime and spread information in the parish’s neighborhoods.

The Neighbors by Ring app is a network of security camera owners. People who belong to the program can send information and images from their cameras to their neighbors.

According to the STPSO, deputies will also be able to see the security camera images that neighbors upload to the app as well as ask questions and even make appeals to people regarding video from potential incidents. The department will not monitor the app 24-7, and deputies are stressing the fact that they can only see images that are supplied by the cameras’ owners.

Deputies say the camera network could make it much easier to canvas a neighborhood and look for surveillance video following a crime. They say the app will allow them to send requests for videos that target geographical areas or specific time frames.

To get an idea of how prevalent the doorbell and other security cameras are becoming, consider this: In New Orleans, police announced six package theft cases in just the month of February in and around the Uptown area alone. Click here for more on that, including the images of the suspects that were taken from the security cameras.