Is crime on the rise in the Coachella Valley? If you regularly scroll through the Nextdoor App you might believe it’s true.
The site is a community forum where neighbors actively post about lost pets, looking for handyman services, rating a restaurant in the area, and of course crime.
There are frequent postings about property crimes like car break-ins, stolen packages, mail theft, and stolen vehicles.
What has enhanced the posts is the number of people who now have security cameras, including the Ring doorbell that captures the crime in action.
Registered Nextdoor App users upload the videos hoping their neighbors and the police will identify the suspect and it will eventually lead to an arrest.
The posts sure get a lot of views, likes, and comments. But, is this community effort a help or hindrance to police? And, does it give the appearance that crime is up, or are our nine valley communities really seeing a spike in crime?
I-Team Reporter Karen Devine dug into the crime stats for 2020 and 2021 for each community and spoke with a local assistant police chief who gives his take on whether the posts are fueling fears of increased crime or if we’re seeing a trend in the wrong direction.
Watch the full report, Thursday at 6 p.m. on News Channel 3.
