Neighbourhood Watch

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Neighbourhood Watch
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Introduction

• This presentation is designed to give you an idea
  of
• What Neighbourhood Watch is all about.
• How Neighbourhood Watch started, and
• How it can help your community.

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History

• Neighbourhood Watch began in America during the
  70s. It eventually arrived in the UK in 1982 at
  Mollington, a Cheshire village.
• Due to the number of burglaries, the residents
  arranged to keep an eye on each others homes.
• The police gave their support and burglaries
  were substantially reduced.
• The news spread and the schemes first
  co-ordinator, Mr Harold Cooper, was swamped by
  calls from around the country asking for details
  of the way in which it all worked.

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What is Neighbourhood Watch?

• It is a group of concerned residents who form
  together to help protect themselves and their
  properties, to reduce the fear of crime and
  improve their local environment by

• Improving the sense of safety, security and local
  community in an area
• Increasing their knowledge about home security
• Encouraging greater vigilance
• Fostering a community spirit
• Improving their environment.

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Goals

• To prevent crime
• To assist the police in detecting crime
• To reduce undue fear of crime
• To improve police and community liaison

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What it is NOT!

• It is NOT vigilantism
• It does NOT mean you patrol the street
• It is NOT a network of police informers
• It is NOT about being a nosey parker
• It does NOT mean you get priority treatment from
  the police.

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Why is Neighbourhood Watch necessary?

• Everyone is responsible for home security. It is
  not the job of the police to lock your doors for
  you. Neighbourhood Watch ensures you have the
  best advice available on how you can take care of
  your own.
• It is important to remember that the police and
  the community work in co-operation and
  partnership to prevent and detect crime. One
  cannot work well without the other.

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The Way it Works

• The scheme usually has the support of most local
  residents.
• Sizes vary. Some are just a few homes, others
  have hundreds.
• Schemes are set up with the co-operation of the
  local police who has a designated member of staff
  to work with Home or Neighbourhood Watch.
• The scheme has a leader, called the co-ordinator.
  The volunteer co-ordinates the scheme and is the
  link between members, the police and other
  agencies.
• The co-ordinator acts as a voice for that
  community.

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• There is often a committee. The committee is
  made up of members who have agreed to share the
  work and the running of the group.
• All Neighbourhood Watch members take steps to
  prevent crime, improve safety and reduce fear of
  crime.
• Close links are developed with the police. They
  give information on local problems and advice on
  how to deal with them.

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The Co-ordinator

• Supplies households with stickers for doors and
  windows.
• Circulates newsletters, leaflets and any
  equipment available like property marking kits
  with UV pens.
• Passes on relevant police information on crime in
  the area to individual households.

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The Co-ordinator may also

• Encourage members to inform the police quickly of
  suspicious and criminal incidents.
• Keep in touch with other schemes in the area.
• Monitor the schemes activities and keep a check
  on vulnerable households.
• Welcome newcomers.
• Identify local environmental problems and report
  them to the local authority.

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The Members

• Pass on information to the police.
• Inform police quickly of suspicious and criminal
  incidents.
• Keeps a check on vulnerable households.
• Welcome newcomers.
• Identify local environmental problems and report
  them to the
• Co-ordinator or
• Directly to the local authority

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Members are also encouraged

• To conduct a security survey of their homes to
  identify security weaknesses and to make
  IMPROVEMENTS.
• To security mark their own property.
• To support the co-ordinator.

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And Finally

• Each scheme is a community initiative. It is
  supported by the police but not run by them.
  Success depends on what the members make of a
  scheme. Neighbourhood Watch gives people the
  chance to get to know and help each other better,
  particularly the more vulnerable.