"There's a sense of community:" Stay safe in your neighborhood using the 'Nextdoor' app
WEST ALLIS -- Looking to connect with your neighbors? The private social networking site Nextdoor, makes it easy for you to do so. West Allis has been using it for years as a way to improve citywide and neighbor-to-neighbor communications. So how does it work?
Nextdoor
Leah Taubmann loves her neighborhood, and she always has -- but this new social networking site has made her fall more deeply in love. It's called Nextdoor, and it allows residents within a specific neighborhood to share information with each other.
It's free to sign up. Taubmann did last year.
"There's a sense of community it creates," said Taubmann.
Taubmann checks it every day, and she posts about families looking for babysitters or folks looking for their lost pets. She's even posted a warning to her neighbors about a stolen vehicle found near her garage.
Nextdoor
"That my neighbors then who would see it know to check their vehicles as well to make sure the vehicles hadn't been gone through, so it does make them feel safer," said Taubmann said.
It's catching on across West Allis. More than 3,000 residents are active members.
"A more connected neighborhood is a stronger neighborhood and leads to a stronger community," said West Allis Mayor Dan Devine.
West Allis police even use it for crime prevention tips, safety updates, invites to free events and emergency notifications. The site/mobile app is a lot like Twitter and Facebook, but this network allows the department to specifically target neighborhoods where crimes have been committed.
"It really is another tool in our tool belt so to speak, as it related to sharing information," said Chris Botsch with the West Allis Police Department said.
West Allis was the first Wisconsin neighborhood to partner with Nextdoor. That was in 2013. Now, more than 650 neighborhoods in the Greater Milwaukee area use Nextdoor.
It's easy to sign up for Nextdoor. If you'd like to learn more about it or sign up, CLICK HERE.