Neighbourhood Watch participation has increased over recent years and is neighbourhood watchgoing from strength to strength throughout the Consett and Stanley areas of County Durham.

Currently there are approximately 6000 homes across the Consett, Stanley and surrounding villages signed up to Neighbourhood Watch and working closely with their Neighbourhood Policing Teams and partners. AND WE NEED YOU!

There are currently 42 schemes in Stanley and 79 schemes in Consett, totalling 121 schemes. This equates to around 15% of homes covered throughout the areas.

Did you know? Setting up and being part of an active Neighbourhood Watch scheme could entitle you to a reduction in your home insurance premium? It’s also a great way to promote community spirit and get to know your neighbours.

 

What is Neighbourhood Watch?

Neighbourhood Watch is a community led scheme and supported by local police teams and Community Liaison Officers.

Neighbourhood Watch aims to improve communication between scheme Co-ordinators and members and allows police to provide timely updates to members of the community. This may be in relation to positive policing action as a result of a report to police or alternatively providing updates regarding crime, incidents, suspicious activity, seasonal crime prevention advice or events in your community or scheme area.

Neighbourhood Watch is about empowering local people to take pride in where they live, promote reporting information to police and other agencies and also work together to come up with initiatives to make our communities safer and more pleasant places to live and work. It also aims to improve security and vigilance, cut crime and the opportunity for crime and encourage a sense of security.

How can you help and what can you expect?

You can set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme today by contacting your local Community Liaison Officer and signing up as a Co-ordinator. By signing up you will sign up to receive FREE updates from your local team via the Voice Connect messaging system (voice message via telephone or email messages). And signing up to this system can be completely anonymous. You can also run your scheme covertly too meaning no one but your local officers need know you are one of our street contacts should you wish.

To set up your scheme your Neighbourhood Team can provide you with information packs to provide to scheme members. This pack includes key information which is specific to where you live or work, window stickers and other seasonal crime prevention information.

You are invited to attend monthly Police & Communities Together (PACT) meetings which allow you regular contact with a local officer to discuss any concerns you may have and set priorities for the area. This is also a forum for you to hear about your local area and any crime trends or incidents of concern which may impact on your scheme and vital information to report back to your scheme members.

Your local Neighbourhood Policing Team produce regular newsletters for scheme Co-ordinators to share with their scheme, this includes updates from other schemes, positive action, news stories and events.

You may wish to hold regular meetings for your scheme area (this is optional) and each scheme can run specific to the needs of your community and the time you have to offer.

You have the support of a Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators network, who are all also invited to meet quarterly to discuss Neighbourhood Watch, share best practice, discuss ideas and initiatives and apply for funding to support these ideas.

 

For more information please contact PCSO Vikki Ord, Consett Police Office 0191 3752455 or email: victoria.ord@durham.pnn.police.uk


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