This also means that reporting situations perceived as suspicious is just a “swipe away”. The ease of use of WhatsApp coupled with the high rate of mobile internet in the Dutch society, induces a fast pace with which information is produced, stored and distributed among citizens. Local residents share suspicious situations but this has proved justified, leading to an arrest, only in one case. Based on research for more than a year in neighbourhoods of Almere, Amstelveen, Amsterdam and Tilburg, the influence of the groups on social security seems limited. Nevertheless, upon closer attention to the role of technologies in security practicesand based on empirical research we argue that there is more to be said about WhatsApp and perhaps it is not the best choice for neighbourhood watch groups in the long run.įor one, recent research in four cities in the Netherlands showed that WhatsApp neighbourhood prevention teams, although beneficial for the social cohesion in neighbourhoods, appear to have limited effects on reducing local crime. The relationship to the technology that enables these teams is so strong that the official term for this form of citizen participation in local safety became WhatsApp Neighbourhood Prevention. So, unsurprisingly, neighbourhood prevention teams turned to social media such as WhatsApp for their communication. In 2017, half of all Dutch neighbourhoods communicated through a neighbourhood app.
The growth of neighbourhood prevention teams coincides with an increase in neighbourhood cohesion enabled by social media. Via smart phones and social media, team members communicate about the suspicious situations they encounter with fellow residents and with the local police.
These teams of residents, who actively patrol the neighbourhood or keep a watchful eye on potential security threats, are meant to deter potential burglars or criminals. Neighbourhood prevention teams are immensely popular in the Netherlands as forms of citizen participation in local safety and security. More and more neighbourhoods in the Netherlands welcome visitors with warning signs attached to lampposts reading: “Attention! WhatsApp Neighbourhood Prevention”.
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