The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Home Office, with the Crime and Communities Review Team in the Cabinet Office, would like to understand better how groups of residents and tenants in local communities can be supported to help reduce crime in their neighbourhood, make their streets feel safer, and provide a better environment for all. In many areas, these groups will have formed organised Neighbourhood or Home Watch schemes but this will not always be the case.
“As someone who co-ordinates a Scheme we would like to invite you to get involved by attending one of two sessions we are organising to listen to the views of people like you. We are particularly interested in hearing about the sorts of activities that your scheme are currently involved in. For example, what activities does your scheme take part in that work really well? What other activities might your scheme be interested in doing were it able to? What are some of the difficulties you face in undertaking some activities in your area?”
The sessions are taking place on Tuesday, 20 May at the Malmaison Hotel, in Manchester and Thursday, 22 May at Church House Conference Centre, Westminster, London. The session will last from 10am till around 2 or 3pm. Lunch will be provided and travel expenses for all unpaid volunteers will be reimbursed by the Home Office.
A full agenda with timings and specific activities will follow.
Repond to hannah.panayiotou@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk and and list any special dietary requirments that they may have by Friday 16th May.
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...and what about Neighbourhood Policing?
WORCESTER was paid a visit by former home secretary Jack Straw MP.
Graffiti causes disruption, creates fear and incurs substantial costs that would be better invested improving the transport network. Together we can tackle this problem and ensure a safer and more reliable journey for all.
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What's going on in Denbighshire?
Out of the blue yesterday I found that Denbighshire has become a N/W County Association,no members have been told,there has been no meetings with Co-ordinators with regards to the association
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Mobile phone and driving update
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Neighbourhood Watch Training Pack
NW members to contribute to the Home Office Neigbourhood Watch training pack
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Police Your Own Streets
NHWN Updates
The new national body of volunteers has been given the title NEIGHBOURHOOD & HOME WATCH NETWORK (England & Wales) or NHWN
NSGWI
Neighbourhood Watch Police Steering Group for Watch Issues
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Good stuff this insurance
Public Liability Insurance (PLI) cover for Neighbourhood Watch schemes, cover has now been extended. |
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Good Ideas
Good Ideas for Fighting crime with Neighbourhood Watch
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NHWN Chair, Marion Lewis with her County Chair Terry Shrives at the signing of Leicestershire & Rutland's Service Level Agreement with CC Matt Baggott.
'OUR CITIZENS ARE ALREADY ON PATROL'
BY JENNY OUSBEY
10:30 - 13 February 2008
Recent moves to get Neighbourhood Watch to play an active role in the fight against crime is nothing new in Leicestershire.
The Association of Chief Police Officers said forces should tap into the "unused energy and enthusiasm" of such community groups.
A memo to chief constables highlights examples across the country, including watching the house of a known drug dealer, checking car tax discs, or looking for people reported as missing.
However, community crimefighters said that in many parts of Leicestershire, citizens have been on patrol for some time.
Marion Lewis is chairwoman of the National Neighbourhood Watch group as well as being the chairwoman of the Harborough district scheme.
She said: "It's up to people how much they want to do, and I have never in my 10 years of doing this been asked to do something I wasn't prepared to do.
"What is set out in the document is already happening in Leicestershire in that we are involved in all aspects of community policing - but this is not the case in some other counties."
In Harborough, Neighbourhood Watch teams worked with police after a spate of distraction burglaries.
Mrs Lewis said: "This started as quite a small thing but now we have helped more than 1,300 people, and reduced their fear of crime."
In Thurnby, volunteers teamed up with police to reduce anti-social behaviour in a park.
They applied for funding for new lighting and a play area, which solved the problem.
Carole Blackburn, is a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator in the Stanfell Road area of Knighton, Leicester. She said: "It's about working with the police to assist them with their job. It's up to the individual how much they are prepared to do."
Some critics have called the suggestions "policing on the cheap" in reports in the national press.
A Home Office spokeswoman said she was aware of the document.
She said: "Neighbourhood policing is about police officers getting closer to their communities."
A Leicestershire police spokesman said: "The police work in partnership with Neighbourhood Watch groups in Leicestershire to implement community policing across the board."
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‘Dial-a-bobby’ scheme to give every home a direct line to beat officers
A ‘DIAL-A-BOBBY’ scheme that allows residents to contact local beat police officers through a personal message system will be launched throughout England and Wales in April, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt.
Ministers hope the service, which is part of new neighbourhood policing schemes already in operation in some areas, will improve community crime prevention.
Under the schemes, local areas are patrolled by a highly visible team of regular police officers backed up by unformed community support officers. Residents are supplied with individual telephone numbers so they can leave messages for their own “beat” bobbies.
Jacquie Smith, the Home Secretary, is expected to unveil details of the nationwide programme later this month. However, Gordon Brown disclosed the planned April start date to a meeting of Labour’s ruling national executive committee on January 31.
Ministers are setting great store by neighbourhood policing, which asks residents to enter into a ‘partnership’ with officers to help stamp out crime.
There is a much greater emphasis on officers patrolling on foot or by bike and police stations are meant to offer extended opening hours.
In addition, officers rank different neighbourhoods within their force’s area according to crime and social deprivation. Those ranked highest get a higher police presence.
Government funding in 2008-2009 for neighbourhood policing, including community support officers, will be £324 million, 2.7 per cent higher than in 2007/2008
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