(Des Moines, IA (via the IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – Survivors of domestic violence will be able to receive free Ring door cameras through a partnership with the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Amazon, the Iowa Attorney General’s office announced Tuesday. Ring, owned by Amazon, has donated 1,000 Ring X Line Devices with lifetime subscriptions, in addition to a $25,000 monetary donation, to the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) to provide support for domestic violence victims.

Raquel Medrano, a program manager and community engagement lead for Amazon’s public policy team, said this donation is part of an ongoing effort from Amazon and Ring to provide support for domestic violence survivors, which started in 2021 when a Houston, Texas, organization reached out to the business requesting support.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said at the news conference the company has been working with national domestic abuse organizations for several years, but that as Ring has started to work with states directly through attorneys general in this effort, “I’m happy to say Iowa is one of the first.” Bird said her office has been working to expand victim assistance efforts, and the partnership with Ring will help victims and survivors feel safe at home.

Dr. Maria Corona, ICADV executive director, said the Ring devices are being distributed throughout the state through the organization’s network of 25 victim service providers on a first-come, first-served basis. She said these community nonprofits will work with domestic violence survivors to ensure that these Ring devices are incorporated effectively into individuals’ safety plans, providing “an added layer of security and peace of mind as they work to rebuild their lives and feel safer, whether it’s monitoring who approaches their home, having evidence if they need it, or simply feeling more secure in their own space.”

According to the ICADV’s Domestic Violence Homicide fact sheet, 88 Iowans were killed due to domestic violence between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2024 — a figure that Corona called an “alarming and an unprecedented increase” in the rate of domestic violence deaths.