Nextdoor lets the cops in on more neighborhood drama

One of our favorite Twitter accounts likes to say that Nextdoor is Twitter for old people. Now Nextdoor is apparently trying to be Twitter for public safety.

Not familiar with @bestofnextdoor? The account chronicles some of the zaniest interactions in America’s nabes:

• “Seahawks Cannon” is practically canon. (A Nextdoor dispute over loud booms during pro football games devolved into fisticuffs at a local library.)
• The Missing Roomba is another classic. (I LEFT THE FRONT DOOR OPEN AND MY BELOVED ROOMBA ESCAPED, someone scrawled on a flier.)
• Nextdoor is also famous for brutal honesty: “My husband found a dead Parakeet on our Driveway this morning. If your Parakeet is missing then stop looking for it for it is not coming home.”

The chatter adds up to a pretty weird version of a neighborhood watch. But Nextdoor’s latest move is all about getting public agencies in on the crazy.

A new app gives them more insights IRL

CityLab reports that Nextdoor for Public Agencies aims to create stronger connections for the police, fire departments, and other local do-gooders.

Nextdoor says agencies have been clamoring for these features for years. They’ll allow the police to send alerts about emergencies, or receive direct messages from users.

But there could be a few drawbacks

Some critics say Nextdoor already encourages amateur Keystone Kops to elevate mere nuisances to red alerts, and they’re worried the new app could only make things worse.