Neighbourhood Watch - do you use it and how?

MoneyMate

Create your own local Neighbourhood Watch scheme

https://member-registration.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/30/Join

Esure today have told me NO discount for being with Neighbourhood Watch, on Building & Contents. :mad:

NeighbourhoodWatch

Thanks KarlF for your feedback. It's very unfortunate if that's the experience you've had with your local coordinator. We do have a set of guidelines for standards we expect from coordinators so as not to bring the movement into disrepute - which includes not unduly raising the fear of crime. When people are trying to provide crime and security information it can be a fine balance sometimes!

NeighbourhoodWatch

Thanks Bluesation - that's really interesting!

NeighbourhoodWatch

Anatidaephobia wrote: »

What actually happens in a modern day Neighbourhood Watch scheme? Is it literally just neighbours keeping an eye out for each other and letting the others know if they see anything suspicious/notable/unusual?

Good question Anatidaephobia. It's pretty flexible to be honest and we try not to be prescriptive about what individual scheme members 'have' to do (although we are working on guidelines for the coordinator role). Traditionally it's centred around crime prevention - so, as you say, just a group of neighbours agreeing to keep an eye out for each other and report anything suspicious to either the coordinator or to the police depending on what it is.

There are other crime prevention elements as well, such as neighbours doing things for each other like pushing post through the door, moving bins in/out, parking cars, taking parcels etc. to make it look like someone is around when people have gone away on holiday. This can even extend to neighbours having a key when they know and trust each other. Some schemes involve more of this kind of thing, especially if the area is already quite low-crime.

And some schemes are more social - getting together with neighbours, passing the time of day, making sure people on the street are OK and not isolated or in difficulties, clearing snow, just generally helping each other out - and that is absolutely fine too!

Some schemes are set up to tackle a specific issue, which can be anything from serious crimes to low-level anti-social behaviour, or environmental issues - just wanting to make their area look nicer - planting, litterpicking etc.

These days we also encourage coordinators and members to address things like cybercrime - they might not be geographical, but a coordinator or neighbour could be in a good position to help someone else on their street who might not be so computer-savvy.

Hope that helps to give you some flavour of the kinds of things that schemes do!

drt1710

I set up a NHW group in my local area last year after being burgled. As part of setting it up, I had help and assistance from our local police neighbourhood policing team, they came door to door with me.

On the whole, the uptake was extremely poor, majority of people are either not interested, can't be bothered, don't have the time. I found that most people were "It hasn't happened to me" attitude.5

Even now, with almost 50 members in our group, I can't get anyone to help me with it, I do the newsletters alone, my family deliver them. I've even asked for assistance, and got no replies. I also get zero feedback when asking questions.

I do paper newsletters, emails, and a Facebook group. I just feel sometimes that it is a complete waste of my time and money. Maybe it's just the area I live in, I don't know.

Former_MSE_Andrea

drt1710 wrote: »

I set up a NHW group in my local area last year after being burgled. As part of setting it up, I had help and assistance from our local police neighbourhood policing team, they came door to door with me.

On the whole, the uptake was extremely poor, majority of people are either not interested, can't be bothered, don't have the time. I found that most people were "It hasn't happened to me" attitude.5

Even now, with almost 50 members in our group, I can't get anyone to help me with it, I do the newsletters alone, my family deliver them. I've even asked for assistance, and got no replies. I also get zero feedback when asking questions.

I do paper newsletters, emails, and a Facebook group. I just feel sometimes that it is a complete waste of my time and money. Maybe it's just the area I live in, I don't know.

Thanks for this, it's a really interesting comment.. It would be interesting to know how many others have had the same experience.

Has anyone else set one up and had a similar response?

NeighbourhoodWatch

Thanks drt1710, that's interesting although I'm sorry you've had that experience. I am sure you're not alone with the problem of having people who want to be 'passive members' but aren't prepared to actually do anything. That's often a problem when things are voluntary!

Tiddlywinks

NeighbourhoodWatch wrote: »

Thanks KarlF for your feedback. It's very unfortunate if that's the experience you've had with your local coordinator. We do have a set of guidelines for standards we expect from coordinators so as not to bring the movement into disrepute - which includes not unduly raising the fear of crime. When people are trying to provide crime and security information it can be a fine balance sometimes!

So, you have a set of guidelines... but does anyone measure performance against those guidelines?

Whatever happened to the Ringmaster system? At least those messages seemed to be vetted in some way first.

MoneyMate

Hoping to involve my neighbours. See what happens ?

Primrose

We have an active scheme in our village with about 100 coordinators (although not every street is covered) reporting into to an Area Coordinator. Street coordinators cascade official police crime alerts down to their members.

The Area Village NHW coordinator issues a weekly email newsletter to all street coordinators and representatives of all other village organisations, groups and churches so they can cascade it down to their respective members. This includes crime information , local village events, planning applications, new shops opening in the village, etc Residents can use the newsletter to ask for information about reliable traders, to advertise household items looking for a good home or appeal for help finding missing cats or dogs.

Our village NHW scheme also runs a comprehensive Reliable Traders List which residents are encouraged to add to with their own recommendations.

People are more likely to support NHW if it is seen to be adding some value to the community other than sticking signs on lamp posts. It has to be a real communicating agent with information that people feel is relevant to them.

Finding new volunteer coordinators to start new street schemes is always a problem. Most people work these days and are short of free time. The only way you can quickly and easily share information these days is by email. Sadly the days when people can expect regular paper newsletters from their coordinators are long gone. And sadly too few people care much about giving something back to the community in which they live in any voluntary capacity.