DSP first ‘state police’ agency to join Nextdoor

Delaware State Police are now the first state police agency in the country to partner with a nationally-recognized website to enhance neighborhood safety.

Using ‘Nextdoor’, users can sign up online and join or create communities completely free of charge.

From there, they can post pictures, videos and comments on anything happening nearby. Examples include lost pets to break-ins.

Sergeant Richard Bratz of the Delaware State Police say as of Thursday, there are 371 communities within their jurisdiction signed up on Nextdoor which they can communicate with; however, he says this website should come second in cases requiring immediate assistance.

“If it’s an emergency or something suspicious, you don’t want to necessarily put it on Nextdoor…you can if its something we may need to look at or we have some to do so,” he says. “For anything that’s going to occur right then or it’s urgent, definitely call 911. It does not take the place of calling 911.”

Sergeant Bratz says state police are currently using Nextdoor as a 90 day pilot program.

This past fall, the Dover Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in Delaware to partner with the company.