The Chattanooga Police Department in joining in a partnership with Nextdoor (www.nextdoor.com), the free and private social network for neighborhoods, "to build stronger communities and safer streets with the help of community members."
Officials said the integration with Nextdoor will enable the Chattanooga Police Department to communicate online with Chattanooga neighborhoods. Community Members and the Police Department will be able to work together to increase safety and strengthen virtual neighborhood watch, it was stated.
Officials said Nextdoor "has already proven to be an essential and well-adopted tool for Chattanoogans." More than 65 Chattanooga neighborhoods are using Nextdoor "as the lifeline to their communities."
“Having the ability to easily communicate with residents is extremely vital to not only maintaining, but also increasing safety,” said Chief of Police Fred Fletcher. “With Nextdoor, we can help empower neighbors to keep their communities safe.”
With Nextdoor, Chattanooga residents can create private neighborhood websites to share information, including neighborhood public safety issues, community events and activities, local services, and even lost pets.
The Chattanooga Police Department will be able to share helpful information with Nextdoor members, such as important crime alerts, emergency notifications, safety precautions and tips, details for events and crime watch meetings to Nextdoor websites within Chattanooga. However, the Police Department will not be able to access residents’ websites, contact information, or content.
Nextdoor is free for residents and the Chattanooga Police Department. Each Chattanooga neighborhood has its own private Nextdoor neighborhood website, accessible only to residents of that neighborhood. Neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor website. All members must verify that they live within the neighborhood before joining Nextdoor. Information shared on Nextdoor is password-protected and cannot be accessed by Google or other search engines.
Those interested in joining their neighborhood’s Nextdoor website can visit www.nextdoor.com and enter their address. If residents have questions about their Nextdoor website, please visit help.nextdoor.com.