Semilong Neighbourhood Watch
Police Quotes On Neighbourhood Watch

This is what Aaron Goddard, Community Watch Liaison Officer for Northamptonshire Police’s West area says about Neighbourhood Watch:

“Neighbourhood Watch has been proven locally and nationally to help prevent and detect crime and it is also a good way of boosting community spirit and getting to know your neighbours.

Neighbourhood Watch schemes work through a network of Co-ordinators and Deputy Co-ordinators liaising with the police and their scheme members. Members are asked to report any suspicious activity to the police. In return, officers provide them with any details of vehicles or people to look out for, together with free crime prevention advice. Special deals on security devices are also available to members.

Ringmaster

The Force has a messaging system called Ringmaster that allows the speedy transmission of information from the police to Neighbourhood Watch scheme co-ordinators. Individual co-ordinators are then asked to pass on the details to their scheme members so that they can keep their collective eyes and ears open and inform the police if they see anything suspicious.

Being a member of Neighbourhood Watch has many benefits:

It reduces crime and the opportunities for crime in your neighbourhood
It helps you feel more secure knowing that your neighbours are keeping an eye on your property
It enables you to become familiar with crime prevention ideas to help you keep your home safe
It helps build community spirit.

What do you have to do as a member?

Being a member of Neighbourhood Watch is really very easy. There are lots of ways you can get involved and it doesn’t take much time - the most important thing you need to do is keep an eye on what is happening in your neighbourhood.

Sometimes it is hard to tell if you are witnessing a crime or not, so you have to rely on your common sense. If you think you are seeing a crime being committed, call 999. If you notice something out of the ordinary and become suspicious, or if you hear anything on your local grapevine which could help us prevent or detect a crime, then don’t be afraid to phone the Police. We will always welcome genuine calls and you may give us important information.

Partnership

The partnership that you and your neighbours form with the police is one of the most important features of Neighbourhood Watch and something Northamptonshire Police values a great deal."