MCLEAN, Va. — A mystery pallet of patio pavers shows up in your driveway — what do you do? If you belong to Nextdoor, you post a message on the private online network asking neighbors whether anyone is missing a delivery.
Fairfax County, Virginia, has the fastest growing Nextdoor network in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. On Thursday, the network celebrated the anniversary of its partnership with Fairfax County police.
“Nextdoor is instant. It hits my phone and I’m like ‘Bam! We can take care of the problem right now,'” Fairfax County Police Crime Prevention Officer Tara Gerhard said of her Nextdoor participation in the Sully District.
A mystery pallet of patio pavers shows up in your driveway – what do you do? If you belong to Nextdoor you post a message on the private online network asking neighbors whether anyone is missing a delivery.
Police appreciate being able to share information quickly using the online network.
“Last month we made an arrest of a serial burglar. All thanks to diligent neighbors who saw our warning post on Nextdoor and called us when they saw suspicious activity,” Deputy Chief of Fairfax County police, Lt. Col. Tom Ryan said.
Participants describe situations such as mobilizing neighbors with chain saws to remove a road-blocking fallen tree and identifying the visitor who left a dog in a car during a snowstorm.
Like many community forums, Nextdoor includes sections for general questions and recommendations, classified ads, giveaways, lost and found items, events and private conversations.
About 100,000 people in more than 760 Fairfax County neighborhoods use Nextdoor. Anyone is welcome to join or begin a neighborhood network by confirming their address and residency.
Nextdoor is in 129,000 neighborhoods across the U.S. and is expanding into the Netherlands and United Kingdom, said Joseph Porcelli, senior city strategist at Nextdoor.
