JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Murray Hill residents are using the Nextdoor app to alert each other and share information after a string of break-ins in the neighborhood on Jacksonville's Westside.
People who live in Murray Hill have been using the app to report auto burglaries in the area. Recently, a woman used the app to let other residents know that a man went into her car looking for change.
"We have had people break into cars. My daughter's car has been broken into twice right here in front of the house," said Eddie Richardson, who has lived in Murray Hill for 64 years.
The longtime resident and unofficial neighborhood watchman told News4Jax on Thursday that one of his neighbors recently put a sign up warning people of 24-hour surveillance after someone broke into the neighbor's car.
Richardson also said he stopped someone from picking his next-door neighbor's lock.
"I just sit here and I watch what's going on. Somebody needs to be concerned about what's going on in your neighborhood," he said.
Although Richardson prefers sitting on the porch, watching out for his neighbors, he said he also keeps up with the times by getting updates from Nextdoor.
"That's a great deterrent, I think. People need to be aware. You have to be aware of what's going on in your neighborhood. It's too dangerous. Times are getting worse and worse. There's more hate and divide than there's ever been before," Richardson said. "We have to be careful of what's going on in our neighborhood and look out not only for ourselves but our neighbors as well."
Some Murray Hill residents said guns have been stolen from their cars.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith stressed that residents should always make sure their fences and doors are locked, and should keep their weapons secured.
For more information on the Nextdoor app, click here.