Allen Police recommend camera doorbells themselves
On the Allen Police Department's crime prevention page, in the home security section, the department's own advice includes this line: consider using camera doorbells that allow you to see and communicate with someone at your door.
We did not write that. They did. It is worth more than any sales pitch we could make.
And Allen crime is going down
The department reported 885 total crimes in 2025, down from 1,143 the year before. That is a 22.6 percent drop. Property crime fell 20.9 percent and burglary fell 17.1 percent.
Allen's crime rate works out to 7.59 offenses per 1,000 residents, which the department describes as the lowest among Texas cities over 80,000 people.
Chief Steve Dye credited a balanced approach: community policing, responsible enforcement and intelligence-led policing.
So why install one?
Most of our Allen customers are not worried about crime. They want to see the dog walker, talk to a delivery driver from the office, know when the kids get home, and stop guessing whether a package actually arrived. A safe city does not make a doorbell camera useless. It makes fear-based sales pitches dishonest.
Allen Police also publish a public community crime map that refreshes every eight hours and covers the previous 30 days. Anyone can sign up for email alerts.
Allen has one high school, and that shapes the town
Allen ISD serves about 21,600 students across 18 elementary schools, three middle schools, a freshman center, and exactly one high school.
Allen High School holds around 5,200 students on a 177 acre campus. Eagle Stadium seats 18,000. For a city of roughly 113,000 people, that is a single shared front door for the whole town.
Small portions of Allen fall under Lovejoy ISD, McKinney ISD and Plano ISD. It makes no difference to our service area.
Allen's housing is mostly 1990s and 2000s
About 83 percent of Allen's housing units were built in 1990 or later, and the single biggest block, roughly 33 percent, went up between 2000 and 2009. About 73 percent of housing here is single family detached, and about 70 percent of homes are owner occupied.
Practically, that means most Allen homes already have a working doorbell circuit and a transformer that can handle a wired Ring. We still test it, because the label on a transformer and the voltage it actually delivers are two different things.
The neighborhood usually tells us the era
- Cottonwood Bend, homes built roughly 1984 to 1997
- Watters Crossing, homes built roughly 1993 to 1996
- Twin Creeks, a golf community with homes spanning roughly 1994 to 2020
- Suncreek, homes built roughly 1998 to 2009
- Waterford Parks, more than 600 homes built roughly 2001 to 2015
- Star Creek, a 529 acre community built roughly 2005 to 2015
- Quail Run, homes built roughly 2005 to 2012
- Cumberland Crossing, homes built roughly 2007 to 2017
- Montgomery Farm, a 500 acre former horse farm launched in 2005 with about 1,200 homes planned and its own energy efficiency standards
The mid 1980s pockets are where we occasionally find a transformer that is under spec for a Ring Pro. Everything from the mid 1990s on is usually a straight swap.
Ring doorbell installation in Allen: the appointment
- 1We test the transformer and the existing doorbell wire.
- 2We confirm your chime type, because mechanical and digital chimes need different parts.
- 3We mount the doorbell at the height that actually frames a person, not the top of their head.
- 4We set motion zones so traffic on Exchange Parkway or Bethany Drive does not fill your phone with alerts.
- 5We check WiFi strength at the door.
- 6We set up the app, shared users and notifications with you before we go.
One flat labor fee covers the visit. We do not charge per device, so adding a camera while we are there does not double the price.
HOA and neighborhood groups in Allen
Allen runs a Neighborhood Partnership Program that is unusual in one specific way: it serves HOA neighborhoods and non-HOA neighborhoods, with separate applications for each.
That matters because not every Allen neighborhood has a mandatory association. Star Creek, Watters Crossing, Twin Creeks and Suncreek all have real HOAs with amenities and dues. Plenty of older streets do not.
If you are in an HOA community and adding anything beyond the doorbell itself, ask your association first. Texas property law does limit how far an association can go in banning a security camera on your own property.
One thing Allen does not have
Some neighboring cities run camera registration programs where you tell police a camera exists at your address. Plano, Richardson and Arlington all have one.
Allen does not, as far as anything the department publishes. Allen Police run an alarm permit system, a community crime map, Neighborhood Watch through the Community Relations Unit, and a Citizens Police Academy. There is no camera registry.
We mention it because people move here from Plano and ask. If Allen adds one later, we will point you at it.
Where we work in Allen
- Twin Creeks, Star Creek and Cumberland Crossing
- Watters Crossing, Waterford Parks and Quail Run
- Cottonwood Bend and Suncreek
- Montgomery Farm and the Bethany Drive corridor
- The Farm in Allen and the Sam Rayburn Tollway side of town
- Everything along US 75, Stacy Road, Exchange Parkway, McDermott Drive, Main Street and Greenville Avenue
Questions we get from Allen customers
Does Allen Police actually recommend doorbell cameras?
Yes, in writing. The Allen Police Department's crime prevention page lists camera doorbells that let you see and communicate with someone at your door as part of its home security guidance. That is the department's own language, not ours.
Can I register my camera with Allen Police like you can in Plano?
No. Allen does not publish a camera registration program. The department runs an alarm permit system, a public community crime map that updates every eight hours, and Neighborhood Watch through its Community Relations Unit, but there is no camera registry. Plano, Richardson and Arlington do have one if you own property in those cities.
My house in Cottonwood Bend is from the late 1980s. Any special issues?
That is the one era in Allen where we sometimes find a transformer that is under spec for a Ring Pro, which needs 16 to 24 volts AC. We test it on site. If it is low, we swap the transformer as part of the same visit, or you go with a battery model that runs on a lower range.
We just bought in Star Creek. Is the HOA going to be a problem?
For a doorbell, almost certainly not. Star Creek's association manages amenities and common areas. Doorbells that replace an existing unit rarely come up in Allen architectural rules. If you are adding a wall-mounted camera or a floodlight, check with the association first.
Ready to get yours installed the easy way?
Pick a bundle, choose a time that works, and we handle the rest at your Allen address. Or call DFW RingPro at (469) 437-5032 and we will talk it through first.
Worth reading before your install
- Ring doorbell rules for HOAs in DFW communitiesTexas law limits what an association can ban. It does not limit everything.
- How to connect Ring to your WiFi without dead zonesYour front door is usually the furthest point in the house from your router. That is not a coincidence.
- Hidden costs of DIY security camera installsNobody budgets for the third trip to the hardware store, but everybody takes it.
More in the DFW RingPro blog.