OVER 50,000 Hertfordshire households are now signed up to watch schemes across the county and there are over 8,500 active watches.
Hertfordshire Constabulary actively supports these Neighbourhood Watch schemes which, together with police, make Hertfordshire a hostile environment for criminals and a safe place for residents and businesses.
Crime is lower in many places where there are active Neighbourhood Watches.
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Stella Brimblecombe, Stevenage Watch Liaison Officer, and volunteer at the 2010 'Stevenage Day'. |
As well as Neighbourhood Watch schemes, there are a number of other watches people can join or set up, if there isn’t already one in your area. These include Horse Watch.
Neighbourhood Watch membership is the biggest, with 45,745 households signed up and 8,248 watches.
During this year’s Neighbourhood Watch Week (June 14 to 20), a further 56 watch schemes were set up and 952 more households signed up following a week of events run by the Watch Liaison Officers, supported by officers and volunteers.
David Aylett, Neighbourhood Watch Project Officer, said: “More and more people are recognising the importance of watches as a tool to make their communities even safer by working together, while also helping the police be better informed to beat criminals. We are indebted to our volunteer residents for their support in this.
“If you were not able to make any of the events, but would like to know more about the watch schemes in your area or even set one up, it’s never too late.
“You can find out more by speaking to your area Watch Liaison Officer or following the links to specific watches from this page.”
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Neighbourhood Officers and volunteers at Tesco in Borehamwood during this year's Neighbourhood Watch Week. |
Three Hertfordshire Watch projects have been recognised for their role in crime fighting by being given ‘best practice’ status by the Home Office.
OWL – the Online Watch Link – which has won several awards for innovation, provides effective communication between the Constabulary, Watch scheme co-ordinators and Watch members. Members across all schemes are kept up to date with crime prevention messages, witness appeals and advice via free messages by phone, text messaging, fax and email.
You can be part of this system simply by joining an existing Watch scheme or starting a new one. Visit www.owl.co.uk for more.
Brenda Griffiths, Hertfordshire Police Authority Lead Member for Neighbourhood Watch, said: “Neighbourhood Watch is a round-the-clock, all-year scheme, but it doesn’t work without the support of residents to help make Hertfordshire an even safer place – and the more there are, the more effective we can be together.
“I would like to encourage members of the public to join as soon as they can and to thank those who have already signed up, and support this work on a regular basis.”
Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Chief Constable Frank Whiteley is the national lead for Neighbourhood Watch.
All forces in England and Wales were asked by the national Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to outline, against a set of key questions, how they were supporting Neighbourhood Watch. Click here for Hertfordshire's answers
If you would like to join a Watch Scheme or start one, please speak to your local Watch Liaison Officer. Please click here to find contact details for the Watch Liaison Officers.
