Through its network of shared cameras, Streety is the ultimate approach to a neighborhood watch. The idea is simple, convenient, and timely for users. In any neighborhood, there are dozens of houses using outdoor security cameras. The Streety app combines the vision of all cameras by allowing users to share camera access or footage with other users.
This increases protection in the neighborhood. Vandals and thieves often park down the street or around the corner to allow a smooth getaway. Sure, they’re smart enough to avoid a few cameras, but it’s nearly impossible to avoid all the cameras in the neighborhood. It also protects shared spaces such as parks, pools, and clubhouses that may not have their own dedicated cameras. If there isn’t footage of someone vandalizing a park, evidence of only one car entering the neighborhood at the time of the incident is enough information to streamline the investigation.
How It Works
Many homeowners have invested in outdoor home security by placing doorbell cameras and other outdoor security cameras to view their property and the street around them. These cameras protect the owners. They also capture a lot of bonus footage such as cars driving by and other homes and yards in the background.
Streety combines the vision of all cameras with the potential to share footage when necessary and approved by the owner. When you click on the Streety app, you see the available cameras in your area on a map. This shows people around you who are helping to protect your neighborhood. The app has a message board where users report incidents like break-ins, vandalism, and stolen packages. From there users can request video footage from other users’ cameras that may have seen something. When access is granted, Streety generates a shareable video clip that can be shared with other users or police.
Streety makes it easier for neighbors to gather information so they take effective actions more quickly. In the past, someone had to knock on their neighbor’s doors or track down their phone number to try and get a story from them. Now they simply request access to view what their neighbor’s cameras captured. They do this all from their phone making the process fast and convenient.
Working Together
Streety improves neighborhood security by allowing neighbors to collaborate on investigations. When an incident is reported, everyone on the app considers the details to determine if they may have evidence. If a user thinks they know which cameras may have seen something, then they request access to view the evidence. Having access to a vast network of security cameras expands the reach and angles of investigations. When someone turns their head or attempts to hide from one camera, they are likely looking right into another from a different angle. Every house on the block has a unique perspective of the neighborhood. By combining these perspectives, there is a complete record of what happens on your street.
Streety in Action
Imagine this scenario: It’s Friday night, and you come out of a friend’s house to discover your car window is broken and your computer is missing. The first thing you do is check your friend’s doorbell camera to see if it caught anything. You discover someone in dark clothing with a mask and watch them smash your window and take your computer—however, you don’t recognize them and you can’t tell which direction they go as they run away.
The next thing you do is get on the Streety mobile app and see if any other cameras in the area caught something. As other users share footage, you receive a video of the suspect running around the corner and entering a car with a visible license plate. You then contact police who conduct an investigation, recover your laptop, and connect you to the parents of the vandal who offer compensation for the inconveniences you’ve experienced.
Streety enables you to act quickly with reliable information when faced with an incident. It’s a constant and more complete neighborhood watch program designed to keep your community safe.
Privacy
To ensure the privacy and security of each camera, nobody has access to any of the cameras initially. Each camera requires the owner’s permission to access. The Streety app limits boundaries to a 300-yard radius and requires third-party verification to ensure only people who live in the neighborhood receive access.
To protect the privacy of its users, Vivint is not activating the share feature for indoor cameras. Vivint’s indoor cameras allow you to monitor what is going on inside your home from your cell phone and understandably, only the owners should decide who knows about and views those cameras.
Availability
Released in 2018 (in the US and Canada), Streety is free to download. Whether you own a Vivint Doorbell Camera or a different brand, your cameras can participate in the mobile app. Neighbors with non-Vivint security systems can upload and share videos with other people in their trusted Streety network. The app is available to everyone who is verified to be part of the neighborhood, whether you have a complete smart home security system or no system at all. Just download the app to request footage from contributors and participate in investigations.
The Benefits of Streety
The whole neighborhood benefits from Streety because they all have access to its resources. Some people invest in monitored security and home automation for less than two dollars a day, and others rely on the background footage of those cameras to protect them. Streety creates safer neighborhoods through smarter technology. As online shopping and the accompanying delivery of packages continues to become more popular, the use of outdoor security cameras continues to increase as well. Streety allows security products of every brand to come together and benefit the communities they serve.
