Crime Stoppers and My Virtual Neighbor Partner to Protect Houston Communities

Crime Stoppers is pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with the social networking service My Virtual Neighbor (MVN); a new partnership focused on reducing crime in the places citizens work and live.  The union allows members of the social networking site to join a city-wide Crime Stoppers network where they can share tips and techniques to help Houstonians stay safe.  MVN links users directly to Crime Stoppers’ website where citizens can report crime tips to aide police investigations.

“MVN reinforces our motto, ‘If you see something, say something’,” said Ryan Sullivan, Director of Communications with Crime Stoppers Houston. “Residents will be able to upload photos, post comments, and maintain an ongoing dialogue with us and with each other, which is the key to crime prevention. Sharing crime prevention tips with citizens is at the core of Crime Stoppers’ mission.”

MVN was launched in July 2011 by Amit Mehta, after he experienced a break-in at his Galleria-area apartment. “Several other units in my building were burglarized as well, yet we were at the mercy of building management to disseminate this information and propose a solution,” Mehta said. “It was then that I realized how disconnected I was from my neighbors, and how valuable forming relationships with them would be.”

In less than a year, MVN has built an online network of more than 1000 neighborhoods, apartment buildings and communities nationwide. Members are organized into communities based on where they live and work, and are able to securely communicate, share ideas, organize events, and perhaps most importantly, post real-time updates about what’s happening in and around the neighborhood.

Partnership with MVN has provided a new platform for Crime Stoppers to communicate with the residents of Harris County.  Every neighborhood, apartment and community in the Houston metro area has unique safety concerns.  Now through an online network, those communities will receive invaluable tips from Crime Stoppers to improve the safety in their homes. 

Crime Stoppers is committed to preventing crime and increasing safety throughout Houston.  Through innovative partnerships and technologies, we will continue to achieve our vision of living safe in Houston.