Getting started with Community Requests

What is Community Requests

Community Requests is a privacy-protected service that enables local public safety agencies to request help from the community and securely collect and manage digital evidence. 

Public safety agencies can publish Community Requests in the Neighbors feed asking community members within a specific area to share Ring video footage or information that may help their investigation. 

Videos you choose to share in response to a community request will go directly to Axon Evidence, a secure evidence management system, where they can be verified for authenticity and integrity. This creates a complete audit trail of how and when the evidence submitted was collected. 

Participation is always voluntary, and public safety agencies can only see what you choose to share. 

Learn more about the Introduction of Community Requests in Neighbors in our blog post.

How Community Requests work

1. When a crime is reported, local public safety agencies who are Verified and Axon Evidence users can submit Community Requests. Each request must include: 
   • Details about the incident 
   • The date and timeframe for the requested footage 
   • The investigator’s contact information 
   • A map showing the area the request covers 
   • A unique investigation code 
2. The request appears publicly on the Neighbors feed, and Ring users within the designated area receive a notification and an email. 
3. As a Ring camera owner, you decide what happens next. You can share relevant video clips if you want to help or simply ignore the request. No information about who has viewed the post or chosen not to respond is shared with the requesting agency. No information is shared with public safety agencies about who has viewed a post, nor who has chosen not to respond. The choice is entirely yours. 

What you’ll see in the Neighbors feed

When Community Requests are published, you will see the request appear directly in your Neighbors feed if you live in the selected area. You'll also receive a push notification and an email. The post will indicate that it is a community request. 

How you can respond

When Community Requests are posted to the Neighbors feed, Ring device owners in the selected area will see the post and a button labeled "Choose Videos to Share." 

Use Search to find your own videos by typing what you're looking for, such as "blue sedan" or "person with a package." Review relevant results and select the videos you'd like to share. Selected videos are uploaded securely and sent directly to Axon Evidence for the requesting agency to review. 

To contact the investigator directly, use the phone number or email provided in the post. 

Important note: When a Ring customer voluntarily shares video footage, their home address and the email address associated with their Ring account are automatically provided to the investigator along with the video. 

 If you don't have a Ring camera, you will also see Community Requests in your Neighbors feed. You can: 

• View all request details 
• Leave comments on the request 
• Contact the investigator directly by phone or email 

Participation is always voluntary. You are never required to share any information or video footage related to Community Requests.  

Managing notifications for Community Requests 

Community Requests let public safety agencies request help from the community during investigations. Participation is always voluntary. If you prefer not to receive email notifications about Community Requests, you can opt out.  To opt out of Community Requests email notifications: 

1. Open the Ring app.  
2. Tap the

   menu (☰).

    
3. Tap

   Control Center

   . 
4. Tap

   Public Safety

   . 
5. Opt out of Community Requests email notifications. 

 After you opt out, you will no longer receive emails about new Community Requests. You can turn these notifications back on at any time from the same screen.  

To learn more about managing Neighbors app notifications and settings, visit Customizing Neighbors app notifications and feed article. 

Frequently asked questions

Does Ring automatically share my videos with public safety agencies? 

No. Your Ring camera footage is never automatically shared with public safety agencies when they make Community Requests. If the Community Requests are within your neighborhood, you will see the request in your Neighbors feed. You can choose to respond to the request if you have relevant videos to share. Only videos you specifically select to share are sent to the requesting agency. 

Can public safety agencies see who declined to share videos? 

No. Responding to community request is completely optional. No information about who has viewed the post or chosen not to respond is shared with the requesting agency. 

Who can create Community Requests? 

Only local public safety agencies with Neighbors Verified accounts can create Community Requests. This includes city and county law enforcement agencies and fire departments. Community Requests must be created by the investigating agency for its own investigation.

For additional information, visit Who can set up a Neighbors Verified account.

Who has access to the footage I choose to share? 

Any video submitted is securely transferred to Axon Evidence, where access is controlled by the requesting public safety agency. 

Can I retract or request deletion of shared footage? 

No, once the video is shared, it cannot be retracted or deleted. 

How long can I upload video after a community request is published? 

Ring users have up to 60 days to respond to Community Requests. After 60 days, the post remains visible, but no new videos can be submitted through the community request. 

Will this affect my current Ring subscription? 

No, there is no impact to your current Ring subscriptions.