Amazon is reportedly growing a new media team which will report on crime alerts for its neighbourhood watch app, Neighbours, developed by security firm Ring, in an effort to reduce local crime and increase consumer spending on home security.
Additionally, the move would help combat the frequent theft of packages, including those sent by Amazon.
As a primarily online retailer, Amazon usually has to deal with instances of stolen customer packages often by sending a replacement, at its own cost.
The retail giant is currently hiring a “Managing Editor, News” for Ring, a smart security company which sells smart video doorbells, which Amazon purchased in 2018 for more than $US1 billion.
According to the job listing, this new Managing Editor “will work on an exciting new opportunity within Ring to manage a team of news editors who deliver breaking crime news alerts to our neighbors[sic].”
The listing adds that that candidate would be joining a “new media news team that is rapidly evolving and growing week by week” and requires breaking news and crime coverage experience.
A Ring spokesperson for Ring confirmed to Business Insider that the new team will deliver “crime and safety information to the app users”, information that will be gathered from “reporting agencies, certified social media accounts, public safety systems, and other sources.”
Ring’s customers are able to share clips of footage captured by their Ring security cameras and video doorbells on its app Neighbours.
This new position appears to plan to expand this feature and alert locals to nearby instances of crime.
Increased awareness of local crime is a clear precursor to increased home security investment, of which Ring, and therefore Amazon, can benefit.
Consumers are also more likely to partake in online shopping safe in the knowledge that their packages will be more secure with a dedicated news team on the lookout.
Its line of smart video doorbells and security cameras range from around A$150 to A$1080 and are available at most major retailers including JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys.
