In an effort to help foster neighbor-to-neighbor communications, the Merrill Police Department has partnered with Nextdoor (www.nextdoor.com), the private social network for neighborhoods.
Nextdoor is free for the residents of the City of Merrill. The City of Merrill neighborhood is its own private Nextdoor neighborhood website, accessible only to residents in the City of Merrill. Residents can use the website to get to know their neighbors, ask questions, and exchange local advice and recommendations. For example, neighbors use Nextdoor to share information about safety issues, local events, school activities, upcoming garage sales, lost pets, and much more.
Information shared on Nextdoor is only visible to verified members. The Merrill Police Department will be able to post important crime and safety updates on the website. Other City of Merrill departments will also be able to post important updates for residents to advise them of situations when necessary.
“In this day and age, it is vital for neighbors to come together and look out for one another. Nextdoor makes it easy for neighbors to establish this virtual neighborhood watch platform and help us combat crime,” said Chief of Police, Ken Neff. “Nextdoor will help create a stronger and safer community, and will facilitate our goals of improving communication with the residents we serve.”
Nextdoor was specifically designed to make neighbors feel comfortable sharing information with one another in order to build stronger communities. All members must verify that they live within the neighborhood. Information shared on Nextdoor is password protected and cannot be accessed by those outside the neighborhood or found on Google or any other search engine. In addition, Nextdoor never shares personal information with third parties. Unlike an email listserv or other online groups, neighbor posts are organized and archived for future reference.
Those interested in joining Merrill’s Nextdoor website can visit www.nextdoor.com and enter their address. Residents can view frequently asked questions and contact the Nextdoor Support Team at help.nextdoor.com.