History of Neighbourhood Watch
Most of you reading this may have heard, or are aware of the benefits of Neighbourhood Watch. A lot of the time most of us think that Neighbourhood Watch is associated with crime and how as a community we can tackle it. In essence this is true, but there are also other issues besides crime that can affect a community.
The idea of Neighbourhood Watch began in 1982 in a village in Cheshire. After a number of burglaries the residents arranged to keep an eye on each others' homes, police gave support and the burglaries were dramatically reduced. The scheme's co-ordinator was swamped by calls from around the country. As news of the success spread, everyone wanted to know how the scheme worked and Neighbourhood Watch was born. Since then it has spread like wildfire.
You may be surprised to hear that Bracknell Forest police area statistically has a low crime rate, though that doesn’t take away the fact that crime still exists. There are over 650 Watches in the Bracknell Forest area. Some are quite small and others are quite large.
These Watches have been set up because incidents have happened. This could have been due to crime, anti-social behaviour, or the just the need to create a safer environment to live. No Watch is the same; they are all individual and tailored by the people who run them, who want the best for their community.
Some of the benefits are:
- Less crime because members are more aware of problems and more active in helping to prevent them
- A stronger community spirit as people get to know and look after each other
- A better and safer environment
- Better links with the police as members learn how to help the police and get the service they want from them
- The need to be aware of what is going on in the area in which we live
We all lead very busy, hectic lives and sometimes we do not know who are neighbours are, and often we do not know what is going on in the area around us. Setting up a Watch would help strengthen the community spirit and as a group tackle problems better than as an individual.
These are just some of the many things that Neighbourhood Watch is all about. Basically, it is about a partnership with the community, the police and the local council and by bringing all three together we can try and solve the problems that communities are faced with in this present time.
If you would more information on how to start a Watch, or join an existing Watch, please call us on 01344 823488.
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