Preteens playing outside alone?

have a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old and live in a middle class suburban neighborhood with sidewalks and a playground and a speed limit of 25 mph. My kids and their friends aged 8-13 play outside on nice days without direct supervision, riding bikes and playing tag and climbing teees and things like that.

My kids don’t have their own phones, but most of their friends do and they’re never more than 1-2 houses away from a familiar adult (usually a parent of a neighborhood kid or a well-known family friend).

I think this is great. It’s how I grew up and it’s way too rare these days.

But there is an older woman in my neighborhood who is constantly posting on Nextdoor and in the neighborhood watch group saying that she’s scared our children will get kidnapped or hit by a car. She even called the police once and then complained that police wouldn’t respond. She’s left notes on my door implying that she thinks I’m neglecting my children.

I feel like I can’t win, like I’d be a crappy parent if they stayed inside all day and I’m apparently a crappy parent if they play outside. I work from home and I can’t just stand outside and watch them.

Is it really that bad that my kids play outside alone?