My Neighbourhood Watch Briefing- Issue 2 - August 13th 2008
Down your way.
In the true spirit of NHWN the leadership is visiting its members and will be in your region soon.
Marion Lewis, National Chair of NHWN and Mark Custerson – of the National Police Steering Group – are setting off on a fact-finding mission to the regions.
And they need your help.
Said Marion “Now that the NHW structure has been in place for a year, we believe it would be useful to visit each of the Regional NHW meetings to find out how things are going and how we can develop. In order to be consistent in approach we would like to discuss the issues identified in the NHWN Questionnaire - Research into Force Area Activity (see web site) to give us a chance to gauge how well things are progressing and where sticking points are.”
“We hope to emerge from the series of 10 meetings with a much clearer view of progress so far and an idea of where progress still needs to be made, on a prioritized basis, either regionally or by taking forward common themes for national consideration. We look forward to seeing you all by Christmas at the latest.”
Crime stoppers turn show stoppers
Kent County Neighbourhood Watch Association (KCNWA) were again prominent in the Kent Police marquee at this years County Show that was held at the Detling Show ground between 11th-13th July. David Alford KCNWA Secretary and the South East Regional Forum representative at NHWN is seen on the NhW stand talking to Kent Police Chief Constable Michael Fuller. David organised 40 volunteers to represent NhW on stands in the police marquee and the NFU marquee where they focused on Country Eye and current issues around metal and fuel thefts. Supt Jerome Partnership and Crime Reduction at FHQ also took the opportunity on the final day to present KCNWA with a cheque in the sum of £400 from the Kent Police Property Fund to assist their annual business plan expenditure. All wore NhW embroidered shirts which they were presented with for their efforts. All catering costs were also covered.
An example of NhW at its very best
Kent comes clean
Kent County Neighbourhood Watch Association have joined forces with the Clean Kent campaign and we have a structured series of messages going out on Kent Community messaging.
Litter, rubbish, fly tipping and abandoned vehicles are seen as key manifestations of anti-social behaviour and potentially in turn, crime and fear of crime. The Clean Kent Campaign recognises all of these issues and the adverse effects that they may have on the quality of life, tourism and economic development. Where anti-soc behaviour is present, crime may follow.
Clean Kent aims to eradicate fly tipping offences and ensure high quality environments and support safe communities.
For more information about the campaign log onto www.cleankent.com or call 0845 345 0210.
Kids can help cut car crime
Haringey police and the local council believe that children can help in the battle against car crime - especially the growing level of SatNav thefts. They have developed an information kit which helps kids ensure that their families are more security-conscious
The theft of SatNav systems from cars has doubled in recent months and thieves continue to target vehicles where valuables have been left in view. So Haringey police, together with Haringey Council and the local Community Safety Team have developed a project to reduce vehicle crime by encouraging children to help their family implement simple crime-prevention measures
Children in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 have received 10,000 vehicle crime awareness packs at special assemblies held by teachers across the borough's primary schools. The vehicle crime awareness pack includes:
- a sticker to display in your vehicle to show that you are aware and have taken your valuables out.
- a duster to wipe away the tell tale suction mark ring that sat navs leave behind on your car windscreen.
- a lanyard printed with the strapline 'don't be a sucker to thieves' to remind us to wipe away the sat nav suction mark and remove our valuables from the vehicle.
- a motor vehicle crime prevention guide
Cllr Nilgun Canver, Haringey Council cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “It is really important that young people learn about these matters. They can act as a prompt for parents and they also learn at a young age to look after their goods and not leave tempting articles on car seats or dashboards. Thanks to the police for supplying these packs, this is a very worthwhile exercise and hopefully will lead to a reduction of thefts from vehicles in the future.”
MIDDLESBROUGH MAKES ITS DNA MARK
A housing estate in Grangetown, Middlesbrough, is being transformed by a
regeneration scheme and a new theft deterrent programme using DNA.
Coast & Country Housing is upgrading Grangetown North to a more modern community through the improvement and renovation of over 340 properties.
The association has also purchased hundreds of Selectamark’s SelectaDNA forensic property marking kits for use as part of a ‘clean up’ operation on the estate.
The aim of the project is to reduce theft and anti-social behaviour, which is a major issue for the community.
The product consists of a water-based adhesive containing a locked-in DNA code, a UV tracer and a series of microdots which can be easily applied to any items of value, such as laptops, computer equipment, TVs, DVD players, iPods and mobile phones.
John Earnshaw, Selectamark’s head of housing, said: “We are delighted that the residents of Grangetown North will benefit from our forensic marking kits to protect their homes and property. As SelectaDNA also works as a deterrent to thieves, we are very confident that the scheme will result in a reduction in burglaries very quickly.”
As part of the upgrading process at Grangetown North, over 300 properties are being updated, which will have a major visual impact on the estate.
Coast & Country’s Lesley Conroy, area co-ordinator for Grangetown, said:
“This upgrading programme is not just about buildings, but about people too. We want to get closer to the community by organising a series of events and social activities involving the children and other members of the community on the estate.
“We have been liaising with the headmaster of the local school on a DNA project that ties in with the forensic marking aspect of SelectaDNA. The idea being that the children can teach their parents more about it and how it works! This will also link to other aspects of work we will be doing with the school and residents about improving the environment.”
The Grangetown North estate
Hopes of the Home Secretary
A Green Paper on Policing was launched on Thursday 17th July, it sets out a vision for the future of policing and includes radical new plans to cut red tape and give the police more freedom to get on with the job of reducing crime, combined with new measures to increase public confidence in the police and give the public a greater say about how their communities are policed.
The Green Paper sets out how the Government will build on achievements, working wih the police to continue to drive down crime, drive up public confidence and give local people more information and a bigger say in how their neighbourhood is policed.
Proposals
- A new policing pledge setting out what local people can expect from their local police team - with clear national standards, including the amount of time spent on the beat, easy ways to contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team and clear response times to all calls and incidents.
- A stronger voice for local people - regular information on crime, including crime maps and action being taken to tackle it and regular local meetings to discuss priorities backed by new directly elected Crime and Policing Representatives.
- Setting only one top-down numerical target for the police service to increase public confidence in the police and other agencies to reduce crime.
The Green Paper is the Government's substantive response to the independent review of policing by Sir Ronnie Flanagan and Louise Casey's review 'Engaging communities in fighting crime'. In a letter to Marion Lewis (Chair of NHWN) Louise Casey thanked the Neighbourhood Watch and Home Watch members from across England & Wales for the part they played during the consultation.
A summary of the casey Review can be found at : http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/~/media/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/cc_summary%20pdf.ashx
Click here to download the Green Paper.
Home Office puts communities in control
Neighbourhood & Home Watch is the largest voluntary body in the UK and as such could have a major role to play in working with others to help drive improvements in everything from the way our neighbourhoods are policed to the way community assets are used. Both neighbourhood policing and a more integrated neighbourhood service rely heavily on the active participation of local communities to make them work. Neighbourhood Watch are already the recognised body which assists in reaching locally negotiated community safety priorities and providing shared information and feed back for residents
The Home Office are committed to taking forward the Casey proposal to support community groups to play a stronger role in tackling crime through the ‘Community Crime Fighter’ programme, this will give us as Neighbourhood & Home Watch members the opportunity to increase our visibility and effectiveness within our communities and where appropriate, to extend our involvement into new areas and include new citizens.
Communities In Control real people, real power can be downloaded from : http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/communitiesincontrol
Use the contact us details if you have examples of how your Neighbourhood or Home Watch group has already played an important role in shaping your local community.
Wise Owl swoops into Wales
Flintshire Neighbourhood Watch Association are pleased to announce that they have launched the first ‘sector’ of OWL (UK Online Watch Link) this week. North Flintshire watches have been the first area, to be followed by Deeside, then South Flintshire over the coming weeks.
This new system will revolutionise the effectiveness of Neighbourhood Watch in Flintshire developing a modern communication tool that takes us into 21st Century.
Watch Coordinators can set up and edit their own watches via their home computer. Currently this is done by post, which carries a delay in itself – an expression of interest is received either by phone or post, a registration form is sent out by post, received by the coordinator and usually returned by post to the office. This process can take a week or longer. This new system can allow crime alerts to be shared across the Divisional and Force borders. People will be encouraged to record observations online, no matter how trivial it may seem at times as OWL provides searchable intelligence to the police. People will be able to update their own contact details from the comfort of their home computer and choose how they want to be contacted to receive messages, and even when they want to receive their messages.
Watch Coordinators will be able to communicate directly with their members.
Those without internet access are not excluded from the benefits of OWL, messages can be sent by phone, fax, text & post to coordinators, providing their contact details are registered on OWL.
Police & Neighbourhood Watch will be able to send crime alerts and messages to specific members of the public. Individual recipients can be targeted, or larger groups such as streets, wards districts or watch schemes. In the event of a national or local emergency (flooding etc) urgent messages can be sent out at once via OWL to the public.
Gary Fenton, Managing Director of Direct Path Solutions Ltd, said “We are delighted that one of the most active Neighbourhood Watch Associations in the UK chose to pilot OWL in North Wales. OWL has been a great success down in Hertfordshire allowing 1000’s of watch schemes to be managed online jointly by the police, NHW associations and coordinators. OWL has dramatically improved communications delivering timely and localised messages by email, phone, fax and, in urgent situations, by text message. We’re confident that OWL can become an equally indispensible tool in Flintshire to support and proliferate the good work that Flintshire Neighbourhood Watch Association have been doing.”
PSgt Siobhan Edwards, Community Safety Sergeant for North Wales Police says "The introduction of OWL will assist the local Neighbourhood Police Teams to collate information and intelligence from members of the public, who may not want come forward with the information, this information is vitally important which Police Officers can act upon. This helps to break down barriers between Police and the communities, especially when they see Police acting on the information that they have provided. OWL will be integral to both Police and the Communities that we serve in collating community information"
Jackie Lee, Watch Project Administrator for Flintshire Neighbourhood watch says ‘This is the next step forward in Neighbourhood Watch. This is an effective way for people to communicate which is essential when it comes to community safety. This is a massive step forward, taking us into a more modern neighbourhood watch which will make a valuable difference to us and our members. We would like to use this opportunity to invite any watch coordinator to contact us if they have not provided us with an e mail address at the time of their registration, or if their e mail address has changed since it was provided. We ask that they please e mail it to me at enquiries@fnwa.org.uk We will then enter it onto the OWL database and they will then receive a pin number which will allow them to logon and use OWL to its full advantage.
We also need to advise coordinators and members that we are now contactable via a new telephone number - North Wales Police Speaking your language Control Room 0845 6071001 (Welsh language line) or 0845 607 1002 (English language line) ext 08118 or direct dial 01352 708118.’
Harborough homeowners get Smart to burglary
A revolutionary crime-fighting initiative launched to warn burglars to stay away from homes in Market Harborough is embarking on its second round.
Operation SmartHomes, a Harborough Community Safety Partnership (CSP) initiative, has been out this week offering local residents the chance to have their valuable property security marked with SmartWater for free.
Members of the Harborough CSP team, police and Neighbourhood Watch volunteers have hand delivered hundreds of invitations to homes across the area, each containing a letter, a quick survey and a response slip.
Appointments will then be made for the team to visit homeowners and mark their property. Stickers are then placed in windows to let people know that home is protected by SmartWater.
Councillor Paul Dann, Harborough District Council's portfolio holder for community safety, said: "We want to send out a clear message to warn burglars to stay away from Market Harborough!
"Our key priority is to keep on reducing the number of burglaries in the Harborough area. We hope that by encouraging people to be more security-minded and implementing prevention measures such as SmartWater, we will deter burglars and help residents feel more secure in their homes."
SmartWater is a clear, water-based solution which is simply painted on to an item. Each brushstroke contains microscopic particles encoded with a unique SmartWater Identification Number (SIN), which is only visible under ultra-violet light. Officers can then easily identify the rightful owners of stolen goods.
Inspector Siobhan Barber, commander of the Harborough local policing unit, said: "This is another example of how we are using technology to fight crime and bring criminals to justice in order to create a safer community for residents."
The Harborough Community Safety Partnership, made up of the police, council, youth offending service, fire and rescue service and other agencies, originally launched Operation SmartHomes at the beginning of the year.
The team is now embarking on their second phase of the rollout of SmartWater to homes across the District. Street signs will also be installed across areas of Market Harborough to let people know they are entering a SmartWater zone.
The Big Clean Up!
Are you interested in organising some clear ups in their streets, parks, open spaces or wherever needs a little TLC?
Each organisation needs to register on the website stating where and when they are organising a tidy up, your council will then collect the waste and on the webpage details are entered of the amount of waste collected and also the chance to put in photos to advertise your group (all publicity is good publicity)
Use this link for the webpage...it is great fun www.thebigtidyup.org
It’s good to talk
Dereham Safer Neighbourhood Team, Norfolk, is using social network website Bebo to engage with its local community. It's providing useful feedback from kids who aren't always so forthcoming on the streets
A police team has set up its own group on a chatroom website, Bebo, which allows members to show information about themselves, keep-in touch with friends, and look at each others photographs on-line.
Since joining Bebo, the Dereham Safer Neighbourhood Team at www.bebo.com/Derehamsnt has already proved popular. The idea came from PC Matt Howes who wanted a way to interact with youngsters and provide them with an approachable way to voice their concerns. “When you go up to children in the street they see the uniform and immediately think they're in trouble. That's rarely the case. Often we just want to talk to them and hear their concerns. Bebo is something that a lot of young people have access to and feel comfortable using."
Meet your local PCSOs on Bebo
ITV switches on to crime
The regional broadband service, ITV Local, launched their Crime section on 1 July which Crimestoppers has joined forces with. Most Wanted appeals for each region are streamed through to the Crime section featuring prominently on the front page. Building further upon our relationship with ITV, three regions so far have had the Crimestoppers’ 20th anniversary feature on their local ITV stations; Anglia, West and Wales. To see the features, click on the links below and type in Crimestoppers in the search area and the link to the story will come up.
http://www.itvlocal.com/anglia/news/
http://www.itvlocal.com/wales/
Thank you to all those regions that have and currently are, proactively engaged with this project as this is fantastic coverage and helps immensely in raising the charity’s profile.
For further information contact Hannah Daws, Head of Communications: Hannah.daws@crimestoppers-uk.org .
PM: 'I'll do more to tackle crime'
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has written exclusively for Metro to tell readers why he is proud of those people who stick their necks out to tackle yobs and criminals and to reassure them they will not be criminalised for their brave actions.
Louise Casey's report has told us some blunt truths about our justice system. As Louise's report makes clear, overall crime is down by a third in ten years. Even David Cameron admitted that last month. We've achieved this through record numbers of police, more criminals going to prison, and creating new powers – many of which were controversial at the time, like greater use of DNA to solve crimes, or ASBOs. Together they make a massive contribution to fighting crime and keeping us safe.
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=181971&in_page_id=34
School Watch scheme expands
A successful scheme which encourages residents to keep an eye on their local school is expanding ahead of the summer holidays.
Five more schools in Leicester are joining ‘School Watch', including Marriott Primary School which launches the scheme today (Tuesday July 1).
School Watch aims to get parents, residents, teachers and police working together to keep the school and the immediate surrounding area safe and free from crime and anti-social behaviour.
The scheme was launched in March 2007 by Welford Road local policing unit, in conjunction with the Safer Leicester Partnership and the Welford Road Police and Community Support Group. So far Avenue Road and St John the Baptist Schools in Clarendon Park and Overdale Infant and Junior Schools in Knighton are signed up to School Watch. It is now being expanded to include Marriott Primary, Holy Cross Primary and Samworth Enterprise Academy on the Saffron Lane neighbourhood beat. Officers in Aylestone will also be launching the scheme at Knighton Fields Road West Primary and Montrose Primary Schools.
Read more at: http://www.leics.police.uk/news/2138_successful_school_watch_scheme_expands_in/
Understanding Herts
HertsWatch the NHW Association for Hertfordshire has drawn up an agreement between Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire Police Authority and Hertfordshire Neighbourhood Watch.
The Memorandum of Understanding clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities of each of the partners
The complete document can be viewed by visiting www.hertswatch.com.
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