Neighbourhood Watch is the largest voluntary organisation in the UK. Over a quarter of homes across the country are members, and they work with each other and the police to reduce crime and increase community safety.

Each Neighbourhood Watch scheme is different, as it depends on the area and what the people living there want and need. All over the country communities face different challenges, and different levels of crime.

Scheme co-ordinators can find out from local people what most concerns them and focus on a specific problem. By forming a picture of local crime, conducting a ‘fear of crime’ survey and identifying the opportunities for crime reduction, schemes can then form an action plan to tackle the problem.

Most crime is opportunist, committed on the spur of the moment, for example when a car or house is left unlocked. This means there is enormous scope for reducing opportunities for criminals. Traditional Neighbourhood Watch activity has focused on the immediate vicinity of homes, with members looking out for anything suspicious, or helping their neighbours as necessary. However, more and more schemes are broadening their work to target a range of other problems such as antisocial behaviour, vandalism and graffiti.

Neighbourhood Watch is also about bringing people closer together and involving them in local life. A stronger community spirit grows as people get to know each other and look out for one another. Anyone can join a Neighbourhood Watch scheme and everyone can play a part in its achievements.

Neighbourhood Watch works by:

• Bringing people closer together

• Building a stronger community spirit

• Helping to reduce crime

• Reducing people’s anxieties about crime

• Strengthening links with the police

• Developing closer relationships with local councils

• Improving the local environment

• Creating a better quality of life