1. Why set up a scheme?
2. Arranging the first meeting
3. Setting aims and objectives
4. Becoming a co-ordinator
5. Keeping the scheme going
6. Feedback and comments
1. Why set up a scheme?
The main aim of a neighbourhood watch scheme is to create a partnership between the local community, the police and the local authority. The schemes are a great way of building community relations and working together with the police to reduce crime, fear of crime and improve the quality of life in your area.
The first scheme was started in 1982, and there are now over 160,000 schemes running throughout the UK and it’s the largest voluntary organisation in the country.
If you intend setting up a scheme, you should first contact your local police station to see if there is already one in existence. You can also find your local neighbourhood watch scheme online.
If there is not a scheme in your area you can set one up yourself.
The National Neighbourhood Watch Association can send you an information pack and your local police station will also be able to help you.
2. Arranging the first meeting
The first meeting is between all interested parties in your immediate area and your local Crime Prevention Officer or local beat officer.
Therefore, you will need to choose a time for your meeting which would enable as many of your neighbours to attend as possible, including the Crime Prevention Officer, usually on a weekday evening.
This meeting should be planned far enough in advance to give everybody a chance to attend. When you have decided upon the date and time, circulate all the relevant houses with specially-designed invitation cards or leaflets (usually provided by the local police).
Hold the meeting in your own home or one of your neighbours' homes so that the atmosphere will be informal and comfortable.
Just prior to the meeting, visit your neighbours again, and give them a personal reminder. Otherwise, you may well find that attendance is not as great as you would have wished.
At the meeting, make the opening remarks and briefly explain the purpose of the meeting. After this, the Crime Prevention Officer will give a brief talk.
Don’t be too disappointed if everyone does not wish to, or cannot, attend. Although 100% participation is desirable, it is not a prerequisite of a successful scheme.
3. Setting aims and objectives
Aims and objectives will help focus your scheme. These can be decided at your first meeting. Working with the police officer, people can find out what crimes most concern and affect them and focus on those specific problems.
Traditional neighbourhood watch activity has focused on the immediate vicinity of homes. However, more and more schemes are now broadening their range of work.
Local problems such as vandalism and graffiti are well within the scope of a well-organised neighbourhood watch scheme. You can also take action such as fitting more secure door and window locks in vulnerable homes. You could also lobby the local authority, for example, to improve street lighting or step up the security of a communal entrance.
Objectives could include:
- Vandalism and graffiti
- Bogus callers
- Car crime
- Burglaries
- Community safety
- School watch
The real benefit of neighbourhood watch schemes is that you can tailor your aims to fit your local community needs.
Once you’ve decided on your aims, you’ll have to decide amongst your group how action is going to take place. The police will be able to advise you on the best way to achieve this, but you may have other ideas. Discuss with your group how action is going to happen.
It’s also important to discuss with your group how much time they are willing to put into the scheme to make it work. If you have more time it will mean a better organised and more successful campaign.
The National Neighbourhood Watch Association has loads of advice, leaflets and a special training package for co-ordinators that will take you through your role and has everything you need to run a successful neighbourhood watch scheme.
4. Becoming a co-ordinator
One person will have to be appointed co-ordinator of the scheme. They will get people working together and be the major point of contact for the community and for the police.
As well as the co-ordinator there is usually a committee who meet regularly to plan what problems to target and what action to take.
The main co-ordinator responsibilities include:
- Maintaining the scheme
- Communicating relevant information from the community to the police
- Acting as a point-of-contact for the scheme to other co-ordinators, the Neighbourhood Watch Association and the local authority
- Building associations with other local neighbourhood watch schemes to really grow your campaign
- Arranging public meetings to discuss objectives
- Supplying households with stickers and incident cards
- Conducting crime surveys in your area
- Circulating newsletters and leaflets to your area
5. Keeping the scheme going
For the first six or so months of the scheme, people will be relatively enthusiastic about it. But once your objectives have been achieved, maintaining the scheme becomes slightly more difficult.
There are certain things you can do to keeping the scheme productive.
- Schedule yearly meetings to decide on new objectives
- Involve new residents - it’s a great way for them to get to know their neighbours
- Invite crime specialists along to meetings to talk about issues like burglary, or bogus callers
- Ensure that people are continually vigilant and report suspicious behaviour to the police
- Build up a network of trust between your neighbours. Ask them to keep an eye on your house while on holiday, and to put post through your door. Do the same for them
- Get the neighbourhood involved in Neighbourhood Watch Week, held in June, and Good Neighbour Day by doing a good turn for your neighbour
6. Feedback and comments
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