https://www.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/mb88za/amazon-requires-police-to-shill-surveillance-cameras-in-secret-agreementAmazon's home security company Ring has enlisted local police departments around the country to advertise its surveillance cameras in exchange for free Ring products and a “portal” that allows police to request footage from these cameras, a secret agreement obtained by Motherboard shows. The agreement also requires police to “keep the terms of this program confidential. Dozens of police departments around the country have partnered with Ring, but until now, the exact terms of these partnerships have remained unknown. A signed memorandum of understanding between Ring and the police department of Lakeland, Florida, and emails obtained via a public records request, show that Ring is using local police as a de facto advertising firm. Police are contractually required to "Engage the Lakeland community with outreach efforts on the platform to encourage adoption of the platform/app."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.engadget.com/amp/2019/07/25/amazon-ring-police-partnerships/In the case of Lakeland, Florida's police department, Amazon donated 15 camera-equipped doorbells and started a program encouraging Lakeland residents to download Neighbors, Ring's neighborhood watch app. Every qualifying download counted as $10 toward the cost of another free doorbell. In return, Lakeland PD not only advertised Neighbors and Ring through "outreach efforts," but created Ring-specific roles like a point of contact and coordinators for the press, social media, investigations and the community. Ring told Motherboard the positions weren't mandatory, but an email from one Ring staffer said that the people in these roles needed to be part of the company's online training session.
It's interesting to me that the debate surrounding privatized police has never really taken the possibility that currently-existing
public policing organizations will be privatized, though in a rather backwards manner, into consideration. The focus has been on paramilitary groups functioning as police, rather than on existing establishments becoming privatized.
