Nextdoor social media app helps police bridge communications with residents. (Photo courtesy Nextdoor

When a resident of northeast Aurora’s Savannah subdivision came home to find a robber in her house, fellow neighbor Marice Gravenhorst first learned about it from a post on a unique website created exclusively for neighbors to communicate with one another.

The robbers were ringing doorbells and if no one answered, they went around to the back of homes to break-in, she said.

“By putting it on Nextdoor, we were able to alert the entire community,” Granvenhorst said.

“We have quite a few members of our subdivision who use the Nextdoor website for sharing information.”

The social network Nextdoor debuted in 2010 as an online forum where neighbors can ask each other questions and get information about what is going on in their communities.

Nextdoor is somewhat of a unique phenomenon in today’s world where most adults utilize some type of social media network. But most do not use it to communicate with those in closest physical proximity to them—their neighbors.

In fact, research shows that nearly one-third of Americans don’t know their neighbors by name and very few neighbors in the United States are Facebook friends.

However, a social network website Nextdoor aims to change that.

Nearly 67% of Aurora neighborhoods are already represented on the social network,  joining over 100,000 neighborhoods across the United States who use the website to find trustworthy local resources, report criminal activity, organize neighborhood events, get assistance in finding lost pets and missing packages, and sell or give away items.

As a board member of her homeowners’ association, Gravenhorst said, she now shares board information on the website rather than mailing information which can get “very expensive.”

Gravenhorst said her neighbors also use the website to post things they are selling or giving away or to get recommendations for contractors and landscapers.

“It is nice when you know other people have recommended someone,” she said.

Recently, a new partnership between the Aurora Police Department and Nextdoor was established with the goal of further opening the lines of communication between the police and residents.

“The partnership with Nextdoor gives neighbors an easy way to not only get to know each other, but develop stronger relationships with us,” said Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman. “We know that building trust and constant communication channels will lead to stronger and safer neighborhoods.”

Her department has been receiving inquiries, complaints, and compliments from residents using the Nextdoor platform for some time.

“One of the main selling points is that residents must have their address verified before they can join. This ensures that we are communicating with Aurora residents,” she said.  “We are proud of how many followers we have on our Aurora Police Department Facebook page, but many live outside of Aurora and we can’t communicate with specific neighborhoods.”

Also each officer at the Aurora Police Department is responsible for disseminating information to their assigned district through Nextdoor.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Nextdoor was founded by a group of entrepreneurs with a mission to connect neighbors.

The website is set up so that each has its own private neighborhood website, accessible only to residents of that neighborhood.

Neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor.

All members must verify that they live within the neighborhood before joining. Information shared on Nextdoor is password protected and cannot be accessed by Google or other search engines.

Joining the website herself, Chief Ziman said, “I saw how quickly my neighbors jumped on board and began communicating about items for sale, a block party, crime, and a dog owner who was allowing his pup to leave “gifts” in their yard. I liked the ease of use and how the conversation flowed. It was from personal use, that I realized the Aurora Police Department should take advantage of this useful tool.”

— Aurora enlists social media as tool in communication, fighting crime —