Make your neighborhood safer with Neighborhood WhatsApp!

As a resident you can easily contribute to making your own environment safer by joining a Neighborhood WhatsApp group. In Nuenen dozens of Neighborhood WhatsApp groups are already active. The idea is that neighborhood residents together keep a close eye out for suspicious persons or striking things in their neighborhood. By sending a WhatsApp message, all group members are quickly activated to pay attention. It turns out that in neighborhoods where a Neighborhood WhatsApp group exists, the number of burglaries is less than in neighborhoods without Neighborhood WhatsApp groups. 

Also join a Neighborhood WhatsApp group?

Want to know if a group is already active in your street/neighborhood? Then send a mail to veiligheid@nuenen.nl. We will then contact the administrator of the existing group and can arrange for you to be added to an existing group. Due to the privacy of group administrators, these details are not on the website.

Start a Neighborhood WhatsApp group yourself?

Setting up a neighborhood prevention WhatsApp group is often arranged among the residents of a neighborhood. Make a tour of the street/streets you would like to have in your group to verbally explain the initiative and thus connect with your neighbors. Then invite your neighbors in writing. You can use this letter as support.

Sample Letter Neighborhood WhatsApp

Rules of Play Neighborhood WhatsApp

When using Neighborhood WhatsApp, we apply the following ground rules.

• Participants use WhatsApp according to the SAAR abbreviation:
  • S = Signal
  • A = Alert 112
  • A = App to make your alert to the neighborhood
  • R = Respond: for example, by going outside and addressing / observing / following the person. In doing so, exercise appropriate restraint.
• Participants are at least the age of 18.
• Participants are residents/settled in the municipality of Nuenen.
• WhatsApp is a civic initiative. This means that it is your turn as a resident. The municipality supports by informing about the possibilities.
• Police will only take action through a report to 112 or 0900-8844.
• Through a WhatsApp message, let each other know if 911 has already been called.
• Pay attention to language. Do not curse, swear, discriminate and the like.
• Do not play your own judge or break any rules/laws.
• For vehicles, consider the color, make, type and license plate number.
• Only use this WhatsApp group(s) for its intended purpose and not for mutual contact/private messages.
• Emergency? Then always call 911!
• You can call 0900-8844 for non-emergency related questions or problems.
• Through a WhatsApp message, let each other know that 911 has been called so that you avoid duplicate notifications.

Photo sharing

Photos can be useful as alerts or possible evidence. According to privacy laws, it is not allowed to make photos of suspects public (online). However, a Neighborhood WhatsApp is a private group so posting photos will pose few privacy problems. However, be cautious about sharing photos of individuals. It is not the intention to pillory a suspicious person. In many cases, a description is also sufficient.

Role of municipality

Setting up a Neighborhood WhatsApp group is an initiative started by residents themselves. As a municipality we would like to know which groups exist, so that for example a neighborhood police officer can reach the Neighborhood WhatsApp group through the administrator in case of calamities. Through the group administrator, the municipality distributes one window sticker per connected house. You can register a group for listing on the website by sending an email to veiligheid@nuenen.nl. 

Through our Facebook page and our twitter account, we regularly share prevention tips and safety items.

Want to make a report about something in the public space? Then use our online hotline.