Lafayette, West Lafayette police see growth on Nextdoor private social network

The burglary came as a shock to Murray, a long-time Vinton Woods resident who always thought her neighborhood was safe. Since then, she has regularly monitored the social network Nextdoor, which she said has connected her with neighbors and restored her sense of security.

"I've been so uneasy," she said. "But I'm getting that easiness back just knowing that other people have other eyes out there."

Murray isn't the only resident to become active on the social network in the past year. Since July 2015, Lafayette has seen a 70 percent spike in the number of households signing up for the service, according to statistics provided by Jen Burke, communications manager for Nextdoor.

Nearly 8,000 households, or 20 percent, are now on board, nearing Lafayette Police Department's goal of one-in-four homes. Adoption of the social network also outpaces Nextdoor's nationwide average of 13 percent.