The Columbus City Attorney's Office is offering free camera-equipped Ring doorbells to lower-income households to reduce package theft.
Households have until Dec. 9 to apply to enter a lottery to receive a doorbell camera.
The Porch Protection Program will distribute more than 700 of the doorbells across the 10 Columbus ZIP codes with the highest crime rates and police calls for service over the past year.
Those ZIP codes are: 43201, 43204, 43207,43211, 43219, 43223, 43224, 43228, 43229, and 43232.
To apply, households must:
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Own their home or receive written notice from a landlord allowing a camera to be installed at their rental unit.
- Earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $30,120 for a one-person household and $62,400 for a family of four.
- Not be employed by or closely related to an employee of the City of Columbus,
- Live in a qualifying ZIP code: 43201, 43204, 43207, 43211, 43219, 43223, 43224, 43228, 43229, or 43232,
- Have wireless internet access at their home.
Households can apply by going to https://city-attorney.columbus.gov/porch-protection-program.aspx.
Winnings households will be chosen at random. There is a limit to one entry and one doorbell per household.
The program will distribute cameras for real time monitoring free of charge. But the cost of any additional, premium subscription-based services will be the owners' responsibility.
The City Attorney's Office said police will not have access to any real time or archived footage the cameras capture.
The office said federal American Rescue Plan funds will pay for the program.