By Henry M. Holden

Mt. Olive Twp. is 32 square miles consisting of Budd Lake and Flanders and intersected by one interstate highway (Rt.80) and two busy State Roads, Rt. 46, and Rt. 206. The police department has 50 sworn officers supported by a civilian staff. The Communications Center handles 85,000 calls for service annually, dispatching for police, fire, and emergency medical services within the township. Its population is more than 29,000, so, the township has a lot of people and territory to protect.

The Mount Olive Township Police Department on March 12 announced that it is the first law enforcement agency in Morris County to join the ‘Neighbors’ by Ring app.

The Neighbors by Ring app is a neighborhood watch app that provides users with real-time, local crime and safety information. Ring’s mission is to reduce crime in neighborhoods by creating a Ring of Security around homes and communities. Ring is an Amazon company. The Ring product line, along with Neighbors by Ring, enable Ring to offer Mt. Olive residents whole-home and neighborhood security devices and services. In fact, one Los Angeles neighborhood saw a 55 percent decrease in home break-ins after Ring Doorbells were installed in just ten percent of the homes.

The Neighbors network already has millions of users and has been instrumental in catching package thieves, stopping burglaries, and keeping neighborhoods safe. As seen on the local news TV stations over this past holiday season, the Ring app was instrumental in recording and later apprehending package thieves and deterring burglaries.

Criminals target neighborhoods, not individual homes. But with real-time crime and safety alerts from your neighbors, you’ll stay one step ahead of crime. It’s as easy as text messaging your neighbors to be on the alert because you saw some suspicious activity.

Mt. Olive residents can download the free Neighbors app, (available via iOS/Android here: (https://download.ring.com/mtolive) or text: mountolivepd to 555888 to join their neighborhood and use the app to: monitor neighborhood activity; share crime and safety-related videos, photos and text-based posts; and receive real-time safety alerts from their neighbors, local law enforcement and the Ring team.

Mt. Olive Police Chief Steven Becher said, “Captain Michael Spitzer presented me with the information on the application and its capabilities back in late January. Since then, he has worked to enable the program with our police department. Mount Olive is continuously looking to leverage new technologies to prevent crime, build relationships with our community, and enhance our investigative and communications efforts. The free Neighbors app by Ring accomplishes all of these objectives.”

Jamie Siminoff, Chief Inventor and Founder of Ring said: “Over the past few years we have learned that, when neighbors, the Ring team and law enforcement all work together, we can create safer communities. We’re excited to have the Mt. Olive Twp. Police Department join Neighbors and applaud their leadership in utilizing this free and effective tool to engage residents with up-to-date local crime and safety information while maintaining neighbor privacy first and foremost.”

With Ring, you’re always home. For more information, visit www.ring.com/neighbors.