How many of your neighbors are you friends with on social media? Unless you live in a very close-knit neighborhood, my guess is few, if any. A new social media platform is set to change that.

The latest wave in social media is Nextdoor and the Mesa County Sheriff's Office is promoting it as an easy way to introduce yourself to your neighbors and start building a network of friends near home.

Nextdoor is similar to Facebook, but it is private and only people in your neighborhood are friends. Here's how it works. When you sign up with your address, Nextdoor connects you with other people whose address is nearby.

Here are some of the things Nextdoor is used for. Lose your dog? Post it and people in your neighborhood might know where it is. See something suspicious? A post will alert your neighbors.

Know about or are a victim of crime? Contact law enforcement and let your neighbors know about it and ask if they have information.

Have a neighborhood concern or compliment? Start a conversation in your neighborhood group. Need some neighborly advice? Ask and your neighbors might have an answer.

This is also an easy way to let your neighbors know about yard sales, open houses, or organize a block party to meet your neighbors in person.

For authorities, including the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, they can't be a part of your neighborhood or see what's posted. They also caution this is not a replacement or substitute for 911 which you should contact first in an emergency.

What they can do is post community information, crime reports, and helpful safe neighborhood tips on your Nextdoor bulletin board.

To learn more about Nextdoor and to sign up your address just head to their website. You can also contact the Mesa County Sheriff's Office to learn more about how this social media works in Mesa County.

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