What is a Neighbourhood Watch?

Neighbourhood Watch (in some areas known as Home Watch), is one of the biggest and most successful crime prevention schemes ever. It is based on simple ideas and values that are shared by many people around the country:

'Getting together with your neighbours to reduce local crime and disorder in the bid to make your neighbourhood a safe and better place to live, work and play'.

Neighbourhood Watch is not just about reducing crime – it is about building community spirit and good relations. It brings local people closer together with common goals; to tackle crime and disorder and to keep an eye on each other's property.

There are also other benefits of joining a Neighbourhood Watch scheme. For example, you can learn more about crime prevention and home security which will help keep your home and belongings safe. You might also get a discount on your home insurance.

The aims of Neighbourhood Watch schemes are:

To reduce the opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour to occur in your neighbourhood by deterring would-be burglars and vandals.
To build a community spirit so that all residents can contribute towards the protection of their property through co-operation and communication.

Members of Watch schemes are not vigilantes. Patrolling the streets is a job for the police; they will act upon the information supplied by residents. Watch schemes are not police-run groups. However, in order to be effective in tackling crime, Watch schemes have to work in partnership with the police (and other agencies).

By letting the police know of anything suspicious that you see or hear, you are helping to reduce the opportunities for crime to occur. The more difficult it can be made for the criminal, the more likely it is that crime can be reduced.

What is a Neighbourhood or Home Watch scheme?

Neighbourhood Watch and Home Watch schemes are community initiatives that are supported by the police but are owned and run by their members.

Individual schemes have different characteristics, depending on the area in which they are situated and their objectives. The Association of Chief police officers (ACPO) supports schemes that are organised and run in a non-discriminatory manner at local, area and county and national level.

Neighbourhood & Home Watch works by developing close liaison between households in a neighbourhood and the local police. It aims to help people protect themselves and their properties and to reduce the anxieties of becoming a victim of crime by means of improved home security, greater vigilance, accurate reporting of suspicious incidents to the police and by fostering a community spirit.

Running a scheme

Anybody in a neighbourhood, however large or small can set up a scheme. The first step is to speak to your neighbours and find out if they are interested in starting a scheme. The more residents there are who want to get involved, the more successful a scheme will be. But not everyone in a street or neighbourhood needs to join a scheme for it to work. It will work as long as there are enough residents to keep an eye out for each other's properties and to liaise with the police.

If you and your neighbours want to start a scheme, you should decide how it is going to be organised. You may want to consider the following:

Who will co-ordinate the scheme?
Do you need a deputy co-ordinator?
Do you need to set up a small committee?
Do you need to appoint a treasurer?
How will fund the scheme (e.g. joining fees, grants etc)?
How will you cover the costs of running the scheme (e.g. newsletters, meetings)?
How will you communicate with members (e.g. email, telephone or a communication system)
Will you produce newsletters? If so, how often and who will draft them?
How often will you meet and where?
Do you need to register as a charity? (See Charities Commission)

The next step is to contact your Watch Liaison Officer at your local police station. This is not necessarily a police officer, but can be someone employed by the police in this role. The closer the links with the police, the more effective a scheme will be. Your Neighbourhuood Policing Team might be a good starting point.

The Watch Liaison Officer can advise you on the local crime picture, on personal safety and property security, and local initiatives. It is also useful to establish a contact with whom you can report suspicious characters and incidents.

Some Watch Liaison Officers will attend scheme meetings and participate in other activities such as home security surveys. The scheme is community-led which is supported by the police, not run by them, so success of the scheme relies on all volunteers to make it work.

Am I in a Neighbourhood Watch scheme?

The Home Office does not keep a register of all Neighbourhood Watch schemes. In order to find out if there is a scheme where you live you should contact your local police. Many police force websites also include information about Neighbourhood Watch and may have details of the Watch Liaison Officers.

Roles of Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators

The roles of a Watch co-ordinator is to set up and maintain a scheme within a specific neighbourhood, and works closely with committee members and the Watch Liaison Officer. Whilst each co-ordinator may develop specific ways to run the scheme, the following are suggested as some of the duties a co-ordinator might underatke:

Write and distribute newsletters
Hold or host meetings
Welcome new residents to the neighbourhood
Publicise the scheme
Encourage members to be vigilant and report suspicious characters or incidents to the police.
Receive crime information from the police and cascade it to members.
Encourage members to put crime prevention measures into practice, such as home security.
Keep a check on vulnerable residents and provide advice to members about dealing with callers at the door.

ROLE OF THE HOME OFFICE

The Home Office supports Neighbourhood Watch by:

Developing policy relating to the promotion, development and support of the Neighbourhood Watch and Wider Watch movement in England and Wales
Maintaining the Neighbourhood Watch mini-site on the Crime Reduction Centre website
Supplying free publications and training materials
Providing free of charge Public Liability Insurance cover for every Neighbourhood Watch group and association throughout England and Wales
Chairing the National Strategy Group for Watch Issues (NSGWI)
Working with the Government Offices in the Regions to support effective links between Neighbourhood Watch and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs)