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Sheriff’s Office First Law Enforcement Agency in Snohomish County to Partner with Nextdoor

Partnership will enable Sheriff’s Office to communicate with residents and facilitate virtual neighborhood watch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  March 30, 2015

CONTACT:  Shari Ireton, Director of Communications, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, 
shari.ireton@snoco.org, 425-388-3377, Media line: 425-249-6263

EVERETT, Wash. – The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office announced today a partnership with Nextdoor (www.nextdoor.com), a private social network for neighborhoods, to build stronger, safer communities with the help of residents.

“We are very excited about the possibilities that Nextdoor can provide,” said Sheriff Ty Trenary. “With Nextdoor, the Sheriff’s Office can collaborate with the communities we serve on a virtual neighborhood watch, with the shared goal of increasing safety and reducing crime.”

Already Nextdoor has proven to be an essential and well-adopted tool for Snohomish County residents. More than 123,000 households represented by 147 neighborhoods have started Nextdoor websites.

“I am so excited about the Sheriff's partnership with Nextdoor,” said Stanwood resident Miriam Lancaster, the Lake Ketchum Nextdoor lead.  Her rural neighborhood, north of Stanwood, has been up and running for over a year.  There are 420 households in Lake Ketchum and 25% of those have at least one family member who is on Nextdoor

“There have been some amazing things happen as a result of the connections made using Nextdoor,” said Lancaster. “Last year, a neighbor posted an urgent message when a mother black bear and two cubs were sighted in her back yard.  The message went right to our cell phones and alerted us immediately of the danger.”

With Nextdoor, Snohomish County residents can join private neighborhood websites to share information, including neighborhood public safety issues, community events and activities, local services, and even lost pets. The Sheriff’s Office will be able to post information, such as safety tips and crime alerts, to Nextdoor websites within the county.

Nextdoor is free for residents and the Sheriff’s Office. Each Snohomish County neighborhood has its own private Nextdoor neighborhood website, accessible only to residents who verify that they live in the neighborhood. Neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor websites and the Sheriff’s Office will not be able to access residents’ websites, contact information, or content.

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