"Suspicious Behavior" Alerts To LAPD From Amazon Ring Neighbor's App
Los Angeles police officers who signed up for notifications from Amazon Ring's Neighbors app are frequently alerted to non-crimes, such as reports of "suspicious behavior," tech news site The Markup found in a recent investigation.
What constitutes "suspicious behavior" can be vague and subjective, and may be associated with racial profiling, academic researchers have found.
In this report, we examine The Markup's analysis of notices sent to the LAPD from Neighbors, the prevalence of each type of notice, problems with "suspicious behavior" reports, and impacts on public safety.
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***** **** **** ** "**** *** tolerate ****** ********* *** ******* *******" on ********* *** **** ** ********** users ** **** ***** ** ******** actions **** **** ******** ** ********, it **** ************ **** ******* *** be ********** ** "******** ****."
*********** ** ************ ***************** ************* ******* *** ******* ** ******** ******* in *** ******** *********** **** ****** ****, ** particular, ********** ******* ****** **** ******** as "**********."
********* ***** ** *** ******* **** more ********** **** *********, ************* ***** neighborhoods, *** ******* *** ******* ****** elements, *** ****** *****. *** ********, the *********** ********** * **** *********** as * "********" **** ******** * "******** *** **** ******** ***."*** **** said:
"***** *** ** ***** ***** *** he **** ** *** **** ****** and **** ** **** ******** *** to *** ** *** ****. ** told *** ** ***** **he *****’* ****** **** and he got very annoyed, and a neighbor followed him down the street. Please be careful!” [Emphasis Added.]
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** *** *************, *** ****** ******** about ***,*** ***** **** *** *** Neighbors *** ** ****** *********** *** public ******* ********. *** *********** ******** portions ** *** ****** *******, ********* those **** ** **** ********.
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How ********* *****
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* ***** **** *** ******* ******** more ***********.
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Notices **** ** ****
*** ****** ******** ****** ** ********* posts **** **** ** **** ** Sept. **, **** ********* ** **** than **,*** **** ** *** ****. A ***** ** *** **** ******** had ***** ** ** ******* ****** posted ** *** *** ** ** Sept. **, ****.
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** **** ****** ***** ***** ***-******** categories ** ***** **** ** "********* about ****** ** *** ************," **** person ** ***, ***********, *** "*******."
********* ** *** ***********:
**** *** ****** ******** *,*** ******** selected ****** ********* ** **** ********, we ***** **** *******one-third ** **** ********* ***-******** ******** **** *** **** ****** ********** ** *****—like walking by cars to check doors or a stranger ringing someone’s doorbell. [Emphasis Added.]
Suspicious ********
********** ********, **** ****** "********** ********," reports *** *** **** ****** ** posts ******* ** *** ****. **** also ** *** ********* ******** *****, according ** *** ******.
*** *********** ******** ** ***** ** 2016-2017 **** **** *** ****'* "********** Activity *********" *******. ******** ** **** keep ************* **** **** ********* **********,*** ****** ********* ********** ******** ** "**** ********* ********** activity ** *** *** ******* ****** Department **** *** ******, ******** *** faster ************* *** ******** *****."
*** ** * ***** ** *** suspicious ******** ******* ** *** **** that ****, ****** **% **** **** majority ***** *********** *** **** **** 50% **** ****** "*********," ********* *** ****** ** ****** ** *** Stop **** ****** ******************* *** *****.
** ******* **** *** ******:
******** **** ******** *** **** ** deemed "**********" ******** ***** **** ********* can ** ******* **** ** ****** prejudice.
*** ********,******** *********** ******* * ***** ********* ** **** that ***** ******** ****** **** **** likely ** ****** ***** *** ******** motorists, ***** * ***** ********* ** suspicion, **** ***** ** ***** *******. The *********** ******** **** **** *.* million ******* ***** ** *** ***** Carolina ****** ** ***** ****. ** their ********* *****, *** *********** ***** that:
*** ***** ********’* ****** ******* ***same ******** ** ********* to blacks as whites, the researchers estimate that they would **** ******** ** ******* ***** ***** ******* – about 30,000 people over the six years they study. Hispanics would have experienced a ** ******* ********* in searches affecting 8,000 drivers. [Emphasis Added.]
** ****, *********** **** ******* *** ******* ** ******** ******* found**** "*********** *********—*** ******* ** *****-*** rules **** ********* ** *********** ****** of ******—*** ******** *** ********** ** racially ********* ********" ** ****** *********** what *********** "**********" ********. ** ***** paper, *** *********** **** ***** **** a "******** **********" **** "********** ***** people **** *****" *** ****** **** is **** ** ********** ** *********. The *********** ***** ****:
************ ******** *** *** ****** **** images ** ***** ***** *** **** likely ** ******** **** (******* ** not *** ******* **** *** *** actually ****) ***less ****** ** ******** ******** ******* ** ********. The opposite effects are seen when subjects are primed with images of White faces. [Emphasis Added.]
** **** ** * ****** ** this ****, ***** *********** *** **** likely ** ** **** *** ****** in ************ **** ****** **** ***** people, *** *********** *****.
****, *** *******, **** *** *** shown ** * ********** ** *****, police ******** ***quicker ** ***** ** ** ** ***** **** ** ** ** ***** (******* ** **. ****). ********, ** ********* *****, **** the ***** ***** ** ******* ***, police *** ******* ** ****** “***'* shoot” *** ***** **** *** ***** targets (******* ** **. ****,****). ***** ******** **** *** ******** by *** ****** ******** ** *** shooter:Both ***** *** ***** ******** **** ******* ** ***** ***** ******* *** ******* ** ****** “***'* *****” *** ***** ****. [Emphasis Added.]
Public ****** ******
***** *** ********* *** ** ******** to **** ***** ***** *****, ** well ** ** ********* ***** ** Ring ******** ******* *** ***** *******, the ***** ** ***** **** *** sent ** ****** *** *** ** helping ** ********** **** ****. ******** who ******* ********* ****** *** *** a ****** ********** ** ******** ******** and ****** ** **** ************** ********. Another *********** ** **** *** ***** to ****** ********* ***** ******* ** limited *******. *** ***** ** ***** ***************** **** ******* ******** ******* **** in ******** *****, *** ** ***** 13 *********** **** ********* **** *** company *** *** ** **** * single ****** ***** ** **** *** popular ******** ******* ********.
********* ***** *************:
Thirteen ** *** ** ************* *******, ********* ****** ****, **** **** *** **** **** ******* ** * ****** ** **** *******. Thirteen were able to confirm arrests made after reviewing Ring footage, while two offered estimates. The rest, including large cities like Phoenix, Miami, and Kansas City, Missouri, said that they ***’* **** *** **** ******* *** **** **** ** * ****** ** ***** ************ **** **** — and therefore could not evaluate its effectiveness — even though they had been working with the company for well over a year. [Emphasis Added.]