New B.C. Program Offers Free Doorbell Cameras to Domestic Abuse Survivors

Shraddha Tripathy

9/28/20262 min read

A new program in British Columbia is providing free video doorbells to survivors of domestic abuse as part of an effort to improve safety at home.

The Doorway to Safety program, led by the B.C. Society of Transition Houses in partnership with Tech Safe B.C., will distribute 3,000 Ring doorbells to people across the province.

The devices were donated by Amazon Canada and will include subscriptions for the life of each doorbell, providing access to video recording and additional security features.

“Sadly, there’s a need for safety planning for a whole host of folks across British Columbia,” said Amy FitzGerald, executive director of the B.C. Society of Transition Houses.

Cost Has Been a Barrier

FitzGerald said frontline workers supporting survivors have identified video doorbells as potentially useful tools, but the cost has prevented some people from accessing them.

She stressed that the devices are not meant to replace a broader safety strategy.

Instead, they will be offered as one potential tool depending on each survivor’s circumstances.

“Safety planning is complicated, the woman knows what’s best for her safety,” FitzGerald said.

“For some people, it’s going to give them that added sense of security as to who’s outside their house or who’s in their house even.”

The program follows an independent report commissioned by the province that found 48 per cent of women in B.C. over age 15 had experienced intimate partner violence.

Devices to Be Distributed Across B.C.

The doorbells will be distributed throughout the province by frontline workers operating programs that provide housing and support to women experiencing domestic violence.

Workers will assess each recipient’s situation to determine what type of device is most appropriate.

Participants will also be offered virtual and in-person training on how to use the technology safely.

Organizers say that individualized approach is important because technology that improves safety in one situation could create additional risks in another.

Advocates Point to Both Benefits and Risks

Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women’s Support Services, said video doorbells cannot necessarily prevent abuse but may help survivors feel more secure.

“It provides a sense of safety, it provides some information,” MacDougall said.

“That sense of safety can be really meaningful when there’s a threat.”

She added that recorded footage may also be useful as evidence in legal proceedings involving domestic abuse.

However, MacDougall warned that the same technology can create privacy and security concerns.

Doorbell cameras can collect sensitive information about who lives in a home, when residents come and go, and who visits the property.

“One of the biggest concerns is around information getting into the hands of third parties, such as law enforcement, Amazon, or abusers,” she said.

“That kind of protocols and safety practices and disclosures would need to be clearly defined.”

Organizers Say Recipient Information Will Remain Private

FitzGerald said the program will not maintain reporting information about who receives the devices.

“It is designed that this is for the women and the use of the footage is for them,” she said.

Organizers say the goal is to give survivors another option as part of a personalized safety plan, rather than treating technology as a complete solution to domestic abuse.

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