Santa Cruz County Engages Nextdoor For Neighborhoods

SANTA CRUZ-Sign up for Nextdoor, and you’ll know if flooding may be affecting your neighborhood.

That’s the goal of Santa Cruz County officials.

As of January 1, residents can be notified of neighborhood news through Nextdoor - a social networking method of linking homes - with real time alerts sent to their email inboxes.

An open note to residents from Communications Manager Jason Hoppin describes how you can sign up for the program.

Nextdoor claims it is uniquely different from other competitors like Yahoo Groups and Facebook by limiting posts received to people only in that neighborhood. In fact, in order to register, you’ll be asked to verify your identity, through a personal credit card, a phone call to you, or by a letter sent to your home.

You must use your real name. Once signed up, Nextdoor allows users to see which nearby residents are registered in their neighborhood.

The San Francisco-based company is not without controversy. An October 2015 article in the East Bay Express described what it called “racial profiling” via Nextdoor in the Oakland area.

Hoppin wants folks to remember that Nextdoor is not the appropriate way to request emergency, police or other services. If you require emergency services, or wish to report suspicious activity, the county wants you to call 911.

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