Critical to the success of any community policing program is effective engagement and relationship development between residents and the community-based police officers who serve them. While social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are powerful tools to the get the word out to the masses, they do not enable targeted outreach to specific neighborhoods or geographic areas, and access is usually limited to the Public Information Office. Community-based officers can only be in one place at a time, and participation in programs like Neighborhood Watch are usually limited to concerned citizens or those recently victimized by crime. How then can the local officers who are responsible for engaging the community be successful at scale? On a large scale, community-based officers can be successful by harnessing the power of technology to empowered communities of neighbors by informing, educating, and directing residents to take action and change behaviors to deter, reduce, and help solve crimes. On April 28, at #SMILEcon, Joseph Porcelli from Nextdoor and Peter Gillis from the Braintree MA Police Department presented this presentation on how police departments can dramatically accelerate the advancement of community policing engagement objectives with Nextdoor for Public Agencies. In addition, they gave an overview of The Nextdoor Community Policing Engagement Formula, suggested objectives to work towards and metrics to track progress, and offered proven strategies and tactics to partner with residents to reach department's community policing goals.

1. Joseph Porcelli | Nextdoor Sr. City Strategist & Professional Neighbor | 857-222-4420 | Joseph@nextdoor.com | @JosephPorcelli
The Nextdoor 21st Century Community Policing
Engagement Strategy
Harness the power of technology and neighbors to create safer, stronger and more
equitable and resilient neighborhoods

2. Agenda
• About Pete Gillis and Joseph Porcelli
• The 21st Century Community Policing Engagement Formula
• Overview of Nextdoor
• Highlights about Nextdoor for Public Agencies
• Demo of Nextdoor Braintree, MA
• How to leverage points of contact to grow membership
• Proven strategies and tactics
• Objectives and metrics to track progress
• How to get started

3. @Pete_Gillis
@JosephPorcelli

4. Connection + Communication + Information Sharing + Collaborative Action + Celebration
= Community Policing outcomes:
“Information” icon credit – flaticon.com
The 21st Century Community Policing Engagement Formula
• Prevent and decrease crime
• Prevent and decrease the fear of crime
• Increase relationships and trust
• Improve police-community relations
• Decrease complaints

5. About Nextdoor
• Nextdoor is a private, free, and secure
social network used by over 58,000
neighborhoods (1-in-3 across the US)
and 740+ agencies
• Nextdoor members are verified residents
who use their real first and last names
• Every neighborhoods is started and
managed by neighbors
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6. Nextdoor is the lifeline to the neighborhood

7. Neighbors can also use Nextdoor to share valuable resources
HELPFUL
CRITICAL
Share networking
opportunities
Pass along health
resources
Relay training
opportunities
Lend a hand to
neighbors in need
Post job and
careers resources
Icons credit – flaticon.com
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8. • Communicate and engage with verified residents of your city
• Target messages and conversations into neighbor-defined neighborhoods, agency-
defined service areas, or your entire jurisdiction
• inform and educate, as well as recommend actions for residents to take to deter,
reduce, and help solve crimes.
With Nextdoor for Public Agencies your department can…

9. Demo
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10. How to leverage points of contact to grow membership
Covert web visitors
into community
members via
overlays + slideouts
Have call center
reps collect email
addresses to send
Invites to join
Send invites via
mass-communication
tools
Have program
coordinators send
Invites to contact
lists
Encourage people to
join at
community meetings
Icons credit – flaticon.com
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Host press conference
to announce
partnership

11. The following proven strategies and tactics are offered to guide departments on how they
can utilize Nextdoor for Public Agencies to make progress towards to their community
policing outcomes.
1. Inform and educate, as well as recommend actions for residents to take to deter, reduce,
and help solve crimes.
2. Leverage points of contact to increase reach and engagement.
3. Encourage and empower residents to build community in fun and social ways.
4. Engage vulnerable populations in meaningful ways.
5. Promote other agency and community resources to holistically support residents.
Proven strategies

12. Increase the number of residents who:
• Are connected and in communication with each other
• Receive and interact with messages from the police
• Have access to factual information about what crimes are occurring
• Understand and what actions they can take, and behaviors they can change to deter
crime and help solve crimes
• Submit tips to the police (via designated channels)
Decrease the number of residents who:
• Submit complaints about the police department
Objective: Increase connection, communication, and info sharing

13. Increase the number of neighbors who:
• Attend community meetings
• Start and participate in Neighborhood Watch Groups
• Register for and participate in Police Citizens Academy and other programs
• Participate in or lead neighbor, prayer, and exercise walks
Increase the number of neighbors, partners, and staff who:
• Are recognized for their contributions
• Coordinate and/or attend block parties, awards celebrations, and other celebratory
events such as National Night Out
Objective: Drive collaborative action and celebrate progress

14. Reasons to get started now
• 740 agencies have already partnered with Nextdoor
• Your residents are discussing crime & safety issues on Nextdoor, and they want your
agency to join the conversation
• Nextdoor members genuinely want to make their communities safer and stronger
• Nextdoor will always be free for members and public agencies
• There is no technical integration, contractual obligation, nor MOU
• We are here to help you succeed!
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Get started at Nextdoor.com/agency

15. Thank you
Joseph Porcelli | Nextdoor Sr. City Strategist & Professional Neighbor | 857-222-4420 | Joseph@nextdoor.com | @JosephPorcelli