Raoul announces donation of 1,000 Ring cameras to domestic violence survivors

Recently-donated Ring cameras will offer an added layer of security and peace of mind to 1,000 survivors of domestic violence across the state, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and advocates said Monday.

Raoul and officials from the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Ring-owner Amazon announced the partnership, which put Ring X Line devices with basic protect subscriptions into the hands of crime victims across the state.

“The ability to monitor their homes when they are not there allows survivors to know whether or not a predator is waiting for them,” Raoul said at a downtown Chicago news conference.

He added that the surveillance will allow people to document potential violations of orders of protection and is an “extra tool” they can bring to law enforcement.

“Ring cameras can be key to giving survivors the peace of mind that allows them to sleep more soundly,” Raoul said.

Amazon donated the cameras to the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which distributed them to people in all 102 counties across the state.

Carrie Boyd, the coalition’s CEO and president, noted that domestic violence homicides have increased 140% in recent years despite other violent crimes declining.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support and for more tools to keep survivors and our communities safe,” she said.

Raquel Medrano, program manager and community engagement lead for Amazon’s public policy team, said the effort began as a pilot program in 2021 in Houston.

Two weeks after deploying cameras with the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, a domestic violence survivor received a motion alert that her abuser was approaching her home with a weapon, Medrano said.

Since the formal launch of a partnership with the National Network to End Domestic Violence in 2022, Ring has donated about 35,000 video doorbells and outdoor cameras to more than 800 nonprofit organizations across the country, who in turn provide the devices to victims.

“It’s not only about protecting what’s in and around your home, but protecting people,” Medrano said.