PURCELLVILLE, Va., April 16, 2020 — In order to ensure the most up-to-date information is quickly disseminated to our residents, visitors, and businesses, the Town of Purcellville has expanded its social media outreach platforms. During these uncertain times, we have increased our avenues of distributing critical information with the goal of reaching the most people in a timely manner. Below is a list of some of the many ways to receive information directly from the Town of Purcellville, including two new communication methods: Instagram and Nextdoor. With a wider variety of choices available, users will be able to obtain information more quickly and effectively by whichever means they prefer.
Websites
The Town websites are a main source of updated information for news related to Town services, events, and safety. Highlighted below are new features and reminders added to assist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Town of Purcellville (www.purcellvilleva.gov)
The Town website features a Coronavirus page dedicated to providing up-to-date information affecting Purcellville, including local, state, and federal resources available to both residents and businesses, utility questions, and links to important COVID-19 health-related items. The Town Coronavirus webpage also has a directory of businesses that offer special options for maintaining social distancing. Businesses interested in adding their name to the directory may apply online.
Citizens are also invited to sign up for notification of the Town of Purcellville Alerts, either via text message and/or email, by visiting the Town website (www.purcellvilleva.gov), and clicking on the “Alerts” icon at the bottom of the page. You may select which items you would like to receive notifications, including such topics as news flash/press releases, job alerts, and Town Council items.
Finance Department (https://www.purcellvilleva.gov/34/Finance)
Provides information on utility payment plans and other resources available for those currently experiencing financial hardships.
Purcellville Police Department (www.purcellvilleva.gov/50/Police)
In order to ensure the health and safety of both community members and our officers, citizens are encouraged to use the online reporting link on the website to report certain non-violent offenses where applicable.
Instagram
The Instagram accounts are used for sharing photos and videos using a smart phone, and posts can be viewed by the public with or without setting up a personal account.
Town Instagram Accounts:
Town of Purcellville: @townofpurcellville
Purcellville Police Department: @purcellville_pd
Facebook
The Town of Purcellville, the Purcellville Police Department, as well as the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Department also have their own individual Facebook pages available for public viewing.
Town Facebook pages:
Town of Purcellville: www.facebook.com/purcellvilleva/
Users can find information regarding Town services, community organizations, and local resources as well as Town news and events.
Purcellville Police Department: www.facebook.com/purcellvillepolicedepartment/
The Department’s Facebook page includes community events information, attempts to identify suspects of crimes, press releases, traffic advisories, road closures and conditions, acts of kindness extended to the Department and its members, and other topics of public interest. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the PPD strives to keep its citizens informed of changes that affect both those they serve and how they do their jobs. With the library closed, the popular Books & Badges reading program has been moved online, to a virtual story time lead by Purcellville police officers reading children’s books in a recorded video for everyone to view.
Purcellville Parks and Recreation: www.facebook.com/PurcellvilleParksandRec/
This Facebook page highlights efforts related to Purcellville Parks and Recreation. Currently, the page is featuring a series of virtual events and activities to help keep us connected during this period of social distancing, called #PurcellvilleStrong. Some highlights include Feature Fridays where local businesses and organization are introduced and include virtual tours, demonstrations, and much more. New activities are posted daily, so check frequently to participate.
Nextdoor
The Purcellville Police Department is also a member of the Nextdoor (www.nextdoor.com) community. Nextdoor is the world’s largest social network for neighborhoods, helping to improve Town-wide communications and safety. This integration with Nextdoor enables the police department to use Nextdoor to facilitate virtual neighborhood watches and share important safety updates, emergency notifications, news, services, and programs with Purcellville neighborhoods. Nextdoor is different from other social networks such as Facebook, since members must verify they live within the neighborhood before joining the site. Nextdoor is free for residents and the Purcellville Police Department. Each Purcellville neighborhood has its own private Nextdoor neighborhood website, accessible only to residents of that neighborhood. Neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor website and the police department is not able to access resident’s websites, contact information, or content. The Purcellville Police Department can only view direct responses/feedback to their shared information, and cannot access or monitor neighborhood websites. Information shared on Nextdoor is password protected and cannot be accessed by Google or other search engines. If residents are interested in joining Nextdoor, please contact your Home Owners Association (HOA) directly for your neighborhood access information, or visit www.nextdoor.com to learn how to set up an account for your area if one does not exist already. Please remember to review your privacy settings on your account to ensure only the information you desire is visible to others.
