The Turlock Police Department is partnering with the website, Nextdoor, to give residents a new avenue to identify crime trends in their neighborhoods.

Nextdoor is a private social network for neighborhoods. The police department said the use of Nextdoor will allow for greater communication between residents and law enforcement as they strive to improve safety and neighborhood watch programs.

“We have always invested in innovative ways to increase safety and build community-police relations,” said Crime Prevention Officer Michelle Backeroff. “With Nextdoor, we can share information and help empower neighbors to keep their communities safe and connected while giving them the ability to collaborate on virtual neighborhood watch efforts.”

Turlock currently has 31 neighborhoods listed in Nextdoor. Access is limited to residents who can verify they live within the neighborhood. Users can post alerts, event, lost pets, safety issues, and other concerns. The residents maintain and self-manage the sites and they are not viewable by the police department.

Use of Nextdoor is free. To visit the site go to: www.nextdoor.com.