HOUSTON – City leaders encouraged Houstonians on Tuesday to sign up for Nextdoor, calling it a vital way for the government to communicate to residents.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he has officially joined the neighborhood-centric social media platform.

“I will now be posting under the city’s account and will strive to share pertinent information affecting you and your neighbors,” Turner said.

Turner said city agencies like police, fire, emergency management and the Department of Neighborhoods are already using the platform.

“Nextdoor is a powerful tool because it gives us the ability to target messages by area and work directly with our neighbors,” Turner said.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said the service helps create a virtual neighborhood watch.

“It’s a tool to help keep neighbors safe, to help keep neighborhoods informed,” Acevedo said.

According to Nextdoor officials, the app launched in Houston in October 2011 with the Willow Springs neighborhood page. Since then, Houston has grown to an 88 percent participation rate.

Acevedo said he would like to see 90 percent of neighborhoods on the free platform by next year.

Turner said leaders will be organizing community meetings in the future, and information about the meetings will be communicated via Nextdoor.

The mayor also said that the neighborhood pages will remain private and are only viewable by verified residents of each neighborhood.