Nextdoor App provides a new sense of community while unearthing social and security issues.
Graphic from Nextdoor.com
In early July, a young woman named Caitlin strolled around the historic Mesta Park area, attempting to beat the afternoon heat. A green convertible passed her and turned the corner. She thought nothing of it until the car reappeared behind her and inched by, the driver distastefully analyzing her. Caitlin sped up her pace and called her husband. While on the phone, she came upon the same car and saw that the driver was masturbating. She ran home and posted the occurrence on the Nextdoor app on her phone.
“I made (the post) to warn other women who were walking out in the neighborhood by themselves...and I think it made people more aware of what can happen in their neighborhood,” Caitlin said.
Eventually, with the help of other Nextdoor app users in adjoining neighborhoods, Oklahoma City police officers reportedly apprehended the man and subsequently charged him with several crimes.
Similarly, a summer-long crime spree of car and garage break-ins has alerted Edgemere residents, who have been sharing info and surveillance images with one another and police.
Nextdoor app is much more than a community-wide safety measure, though. Uniting the community seems to be an important, recurring theme within the posts of Nextdoor. Posts about lost animals and their eventual reunion with relieved owners pepper the lost and found pages. Warnings of faulty contractors and botched housing jobs are common, as are event announcements such as park cleanups.
Social questions and advice on finding a school suitable for children with autism show the app being used in more substantive ways, too.
Suburbanization and social media create this confusing tug of war; for every street full of strangers, there’s the promise of connection through Twitter and Facebook feeds. The Nextdoor app is a new platform to enhance the sense of being “neighborly”—as long as everyone minds their manners, of course.
Corrie Matchell, a frequent user of Nextdoor, moved to Military Park six months ago and discovered Nextdoor to be a fantastic way to not only meet her new neighbors, but also make her residence safer. “(Nextdoor) has been a great way to use technology to connect people who might not be willing to go out and meet their neighbors,” Matchell said. “It’s really good to be aware and to look out for each other. It’s kind of the 21st-century Neighborhood Watch.”
Over the summer, Matchell notified her community of the erratic behavior of a nearby female resident. The woman was noted to walk the streets at unusual hours, sometimes yelling at Military Park dwellers. Late one night, Matchell found her erratic neighbor lounging on her porch furniture. It spurred Mitchell to seek some sort of aid for the woman. A very active discussion ensued, with substantive advice and offers of assistance.
“I really wanted to see if anyone could do anything to help her. We needed to come together to find some ways to support her because she is part of our community,” Matchell said.
Now more than ever, communities depend on others for aid. Maybe we don’t put pies on our windowsills or leave our doors unlocked anymore, but we should make an effort to know the folks who live around us. If we are indeed products of our society, then as Okies, we should be gracious, accepting, hospitable and thoughtful. So if you ever have a question concerning a lost dog, a yard sale or neighborhood safety, the person living across the street, down the block or simply next door might have the answer.
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