Neighbourhood
Watch Strategy
June 2013
Our vision is for a name in every neighbourhood. Together we will create modern, dynamic and
forward looking voluntary organisations that build upon traditional values of promoting crime
prevention and social cohesion
http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/
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Foreword
In 2011 our first strategy identified that Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) was
County Durham’s hidden success story. We set out to make sure that the
success of NHW, and its family of Watch schemes, became clearly visible. In
achieving this we have helped a record number of households take up the
opportunity of being part of NHW and helped more neighbours come together
to tackle issues in their streets and villages.
Durham Constabulary has welcomed the support of its partners who sit
alongside them on the Safe Durham Partnership. This support brings new
resources and new ways of working while recognising the need for NHW to
retain its traditional role. It is helping more NHW schemes make the transition
from being users of services to being equal partners: engaged in design and
delivery. NHW Coordinators and members bring together a vast array of skills
and we commend those schemes that have broadened their boundaries to
improve the wellbeing and guardianship of their communities.
It is important to recognise the hard work of our police officers, police
community support officers, police staff and partner agency staff who continue
to work with their Watch members; building a relationship that grows ever
stronger. It is clear that NHW, in County Durham and Darlington, is at the
heart of Neighbourhood Policing. With the support of the Safe Durham
Partnership NHW is making a significant contribution to an altogether Better
County Durham.
Michael Banks
Deputy Chief Constable,
Durham Constabulary
Rachael Shimmin
Corporate Director of
Children and Adults
Service, Durham County
Council and Chair of the
Safe Durham Partnership
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Introduction
Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) was introduced in 1982 and now boasts nearly 5
million households in a scheme; making NHW the largest voluntary movement in
the country. The Home Office report, ‘A New Approach to Fighting Crime’,
identified that 75% of people who do not have a NHW scheme in their area are
interested in joining one.
In 2011 Durham Constabulary and Durham County Council delivered the
‘NHW: Safe and Active Communities’ strategy. The strategy set out to reach
that 75% and provide more people with the opportunity to volunteer and
engage in social action; providing benefits to themselves, their community and
supporting local services.
The Strategy outlined its three priorities for NHW, and associated Watch
schemes, to become ‘bigger and stronger’, ‘get active’ and help people ‘feel
safe’; seeking opportunities to contribute to wider outcomes that help achieve the
long term priorities set out in the Sustainable Community Strategy for County
Durham.
Our challenge was to help create a modern, dynamic and forward looking
voluntary organisation that builds upon its traditional values of promoting crime
prevention and social cohesion. Our aim was to engage with, and encourage,
activists to add to the existing 55,683 households already covered by NHW in
County Durham and make the transition from engaging with communities to
helping them participate.
In just two years we have made significant progress on all three priorities.
Our Challenge 40k programme has, so far, resulted in 787 new schemes;
bringing 10,000 new households into NHW. With a network of NHW
Associations, Residents Associations and informal Community/Village NHW
groups, we have been able to help develop people’s skills and take advantage of
this significant asset.
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It is the 40% increase in NHW Coordinators that proves to be the key asset in
terms of social action. NHW Coordinators fall into the category of a ‘Frequent
Volunteer’ which is someone who volunteers weekly or at least once per month.
Many of our new Coordinators have joined NHW to make their area better and
safer and their numbers are equally as strong in less affluent areas. This is
significant at a time when the numbers of frequent volunteers are falling1, when
those at the higher end of volunteering, and participation in civic associations are
drawn from the most prosperous areas2 and when some voluntary organisations
report having insufficient volunteers3
The purpose of the refresh of the ‘NHW: Safe and Active Communities’ strategy
is to recognise what has worked well in encouraging greater membership,
understand what motivates people to get active and recognise and take
advantage of the community assets that are available and their contribution to a
broad range of activity that includes helping people to feel safe.
Our long term vision is for every home, business, farm and school to be
associated to a Watch scheme.
1
Communities and Local Government (2011) Citizenship Survey
Third Sector Research Centre (2011) The idea of a ‘civic core’
3
Cabinet Office (2011) National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises
2
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Priorities & High Level Action Points
1.
1.1
Bigger & Stronger
Deliver the ‘Challenge 1000’ programme so that every household in
the county has the opportunity to join, start or re-start a NHW scheme
in their neighbourhood. Our ultimate goal is 100% coverage across
County Durham and Darlington.
1.2
Provide strategic support in order to continue the development of a
NHW Network.
1.3
Encourage a broader section of the community into NHW and
promote the use of Junior Neighbourhood Watch in schools.
1.4
Provide the information and support needed to help increase the ways
in which NHW Coordinators are involved in Building Capacity and
Guardianship.
2.
2.1
Getting Active
Learn from, and build upon, the success of established Watch
schemes.
2.2
Support individuals and groups who want to take a lead role in helping
to resolve issues of community concern.
2.3
Introduce the Safer Homes scheme across County Durham and
increase its scope to include Fire Safety.
2.4
Help connect our Watch schemes with a range of services and
volunteer programmes and consult with our NHW Coordinators on the
broad scope of work they do with a view to formalising this work in an
initiative covering both County Durham and Darlington.
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3.
3.1
Feeling Safe
Capture and share great practice and encourage NHW to build in
mechanisms that evidence success.
3.2
Raise awareness, and the profile, of all Watch schemes across
County Durham.
3.3
Recognise great practice locally, regionally and nationally.
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Priority 1: Bigger and Stronger
1.1
Increasing Membership
It October 2011 the NHW Strategy outlined our ambition to provide the
opportunity for more people to enjoy the benefits that NHW membership
brings. Increasing membership has helped more people to get involved in
making their local area feel like a safer place to live and do business.
We set ourselves a challenge to deliver a bigger and stronger NHW. Through
our ‘Challenge 1000’ initiatives the police and partners provide residents with
an understanding of NHW, its principles and what it hopes to achieve.
Residents are given the opportunity to join, start or re-launch a NHW scheme.
A range of marketing initiatives have succeeded in raising awareness of NHW
and since the introduction of the strategy, more than 10,000 households have
joined existing and newly created NHW schemes. County Durham now has a
higher percentage of homes in a NHW scheme than any other area in
England and Wales with 66,864 households in a NHW scheme; 30% of all
households in the County.
By maintaining our target of 40,000 new homes covered by NHW by 2016, we
will demonstrate our commitment to having a name in every neighbourhood.
W
e will maintain this approach to ensure that every household in the
county has the opportunity to join, start or re-start a NHW scheme in
their neighbourhood. Our ultimate goal is 100% coverage across
County Durham and Darlington.
1.2
A Network of Support
We recognised that a bigger Neighbourhood watch required a network of
support. Initially, our aim was to deliver Area and County Durham NHW
Associations that would link into the existing regional and national NHW
framework. In fact, different areas have elected different approaches;
adopting formal and informal associations and coming together as smaller
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informal groups. In Ushaw Moor and Central Aycliffe the NHW schemes
transformed into Residents Associations which adopted a broader scope of
activity, while maintaining NHW status. They are all represented on the
regional NHW association and have all delivered a positive contribution to
making their areas safer.
The Safe Durham Partnership set out to ensure that
Watch schemes benefited from strategic support
from all those organisations that have a duty to
work together to reduce crime and disorder in their
local area. It has provided strategic policy support
and funding along with projects that include Total
Home Safety and Safer Homes; introducing new
partners such as Four Housing Group.
This support has assisted Police Community Liaison Officers and
Neighbourhood Policing teams reach more people than ever before and
encourage more activity. The Business Watch event saw representation from
approximately 60 County Durham businesses.
W
e will continue to provide strategic and operational support in order to
maintain the development of a NHW Network and empower NHW
schemes to seek opportunities to become active.
1.3
Reaching a broader section of the community
Children, young people and young adults were
particularly under-represented within NHW and
our Challenge 1000 events have helped reach a
much wider range of people. A new housing
development in Green Lane, Spennymoor took in
250 new households into Neighbourhood with
young professionals taking the role of
Coordinator.
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Durham Constabulary introduced Junior NHW at the end of 2011. Junior
NHW is an OFSTED acclaimed innovative citizenship project delivered in
schools to year 5/6 pupils. Professionals from a number of agencies deliver
sessions on a range of issues that help children learn how to stay safe, be
kind and considerate to other people and learn about the principles of NHW.
Children are equipped with knowledge about the causes and consequences
of anti-social behaviour to help them make better decisions in terms of risk
taking. They will understand the role of all those services that deliver the
training and how to access and report an incident to them.
This approach is supported by Area Action Partnerships and is designed to
introduce children to NHW in the hope that they may become our NHW
Coordinators of the future. 900 school children across County Durham and
Darlington have benefited and more will follow.
W
e will continue to encourage a broader section of the community into
1.4
Building Social Capital & Guardianship
NHW and promote the use of Junior Neighbourhood Watch in schools.
During a period when levels of crimes and disorders are at their lowest, social
networks such as NHW are capable of increasing the capacity of the Safe
Durham Partnership to make continuous and significant improvements in
Community Safety. Watch schemes help people, organisations and
communities work together for a common purpose. By developing a sense of
belonging, valuing diversity and promoting interaction, our Watch schemes
are developing positive relationships within their community.
By reaching more people we create opportunities for people to make a small
contribution. Collectively such contributions can add up. We also create
opportunities to reach individuals who, themselves, create the conditions for
significant improvements in their community. They develop strong skills and
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often provide communities the opportunity to learn, be healthy and involve
children in community activity.
Durham Constabulary, supported by the Safe Durham Partnership, aim to
help NHW develop the skills, knowledge and confidence of its Coordinators so
that they are able to identify and resolve their local issues. Problem solving
training was provided to NHW Coordinators from every area of the County
and in Newton Aycliffe a newly appointed NHW Coordinator has transformed
a NHW scheme into Acorn Residents Association.
Acorn boasts 800 members and at its regular
meetings, residents hear from guest speakers in
order to help encourage new opportunities. The
Residents Association has run events such as the
Queens Jubilee party, a Halloween party and a
Party in the Park. In its first 12 months it has
attracted £10,000 in funding and is now sponsored
by ‘Livin’.
NHW provides the opportunity to increase guardianship so that a community
cares, and takes responsibility, for its children and young people; providing
them with positive activity and a guiding hand.
Hunters gate Estate NHW was established in 2007 and has since transformed
into Ushaw Moor Action Group; widening its remit to improve the relationship
between individuals in the community, increase interaction and encourage
residents to take active ownership of their village.
The group has delivered a range of excellent initiatives
including a Community Garden. It is a totally inclusive
facility that supports the Durham Agency Against
Crime HAGGRID Project; a positive youth diversion
programme based around horticulture and agriculture
aimed at building stronger communities through
intergenerational activities. The garden provides a
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quality community open space which benefits people of all ages and is a
learning resource for children and schools in the village; raising awareness of
green and environmental issues. It is a space for growing, learning, quiet
reflection, wildlife and for events and play. It is a glowing example of public
spiritedness and community cohesion.
UMAG have also created a community hub called the Hive. It hosts a kids
Club for 7-11 year olds and a Youth drop-in for 12-19 year olds. The Hive
offers a flexible meeting place where police can engage with residents. It has
developed a range of activities that includes a book club, craft club, mother
and toddlers, activities for the elderly and a community fruit and veg shop run
by volunteers. Parents and young people volunteer regularly to help keep
these activities going and, while UMAG has successfully bid for funding, they
have plans to reduce costs in order to sustain this activity for the long term.
John Booth is the founder of the original NHW and Chair of UMAG. John
believes that working closely with agencies has been key to their success,
“Our strength is our ability to work with key agencies in delivering activities for
every generation and consulting with the community to make sure we provide
them with exactly what they want”. He added, “Our positive activities have
really impacted on levels of anti-social behaviour and we have kept this work
going by empowering people in our community to implement change and run
initiatives for themselves”.
W
e will provide the information and support needed to help increase the
ways in which NHW Coordinators are involved in Building Capacity
and Guardianship..
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Priority 2: Getting Active
2.1
A history of success
Farm Watch has, for a number of years, been a
shining example of proactive cooperation that has
been taking place between police officers and
members of our rural communities. They work
together in pre-planned operations to prevent rural
crime and catch criminals; joining with regional
teams to deliver regional initiatives that target both
local and travelling criminals. In November 2012
police teamed up with community volunteers in an operation covering 3,500
square miles across County Durham, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and
Northumbria. A total of 100 police officers and support staff patrolled, with
support from 145 volunteers who assisted by monitoring key locations. The
operation, which ranged from the Scottish border and as far south as Skipton
in North Yorkshire, saw 40 vehicles stopped and six men arrested in the
Ferryhill area on suspicion of damaging farm property.
The operation was repeated In February 2013 and on an even bigger scale;
covering 4,000 square miles. Police officers disturbed the occupants of a
vehicle In Teesdale who fled as officers tried to check the car between
Cockfield and Butterknowle . The Farm Watch team found four large plastic
drums similar to those used in the theft of diesel abandoned by those using
the vehicle. This is the sort of cooperation that continues to disrupt criminals
operating out in our rural communities.
County Durham Business Watch was launched in July
2010 after increased levels of reported crime on the
Aycliffe Business Park. Since the launch of the
scheme reported crime has fallen on the Aycliffe
Business Park by 37%. The Watch scheme now
boasts a membership of 298 businesses and spreads
right across the County. The scheme is unique in that
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business members can register and share information using a new dedicated
internet forum. Business Watch members provide the police with increased
levels of intelligence; helping to identify offenders and monitor their activities.
They can access impartial security advice on their Business Watch website
and hold Business Watch forums on different business premises.
These are examples of commitment and cooperation with communities getting
active and working in partnership to make their own communities safer. Over
the last eighteen months a range of partner agencies have worked hard to
provide new opportunities and it is important to recognise that it all starts with
a knock on a door from a local police officer and a commitment from someone
in their local community to set up a new Watch scheme.
W
e will continue to learn from, and build upon, the success of
established Watch schemes.
2.2
Empowering People
The 2011 strategy identified that delivering initiatives would place NHW
Coordinators, and their members, at the heart of addressing those crime and
disorder issues that their communities are most concerned about. Having
encouraged people to come forward and become a NHW Coordinator, the
next step involves supporting those who want to get active.
Two West Chilton residents started a NHW
scheme and began a mission to do something
about the poor state of Raby and Ford Terrace; an
area withdrawn from a planned demolition as part
of a regeneration programme in Chilton. The area
suffered from void properties, fly-tipping and
antisocial behaviour; leaving the quality of life for
residents seriously affected. Residents had become so used to the problems
that they had not reported issues to the police and council.
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Void properties had become easy targets for thieves looking to steal metal.
This resulted in damage to windows and the removal of lead flashing, metal
gates and fencing. The area had become run down and unsightly as a result
of being left unoccupied for long periods of time.
The local Community Liaison Officer encouraged two residents to start up a
NHW. The new NHW Coordinators encouraged residents to report crime and
anti-social behaviour and soon the extent of their problems became visible to
local agencies. The Coordinators gained in confidence and a partnership
developed between the NHW scheme, the Area Action Partnership and the
Safe Durham Partnership.
In just eight months officers from partner agencies have secured 5 Lighting
columns that were erected by Durham County Council. This had an
immediate effect with significant reductions in fly-tipping incidents. The
Officers worked tirelessly and secured funding to renovate the back streets.
21 properties included in the project are benefiting from replacement gates
and walls are being re-built. This will reduce access to the rear of the
properties; making it less attractive for people to congregate.
Other parts of the area will benefit too. 88 properties will have front sills and
lintels cleaned, prepared and painted which will improve the appearance of
the area. Polycarbonate windows will make dwellings secure, assist in
bringing void properties back into use and reduce void turn around.
Local Council and Police Officers have helped NHW
understand how such initiatives can generate other
opportunities for the local area. The local company
commissioned to carry out the work was selected
because it provides apprenticeships to young people
‘Not in Education Employment or Training’. Twelve
young people, local to Chilton and its surrounding
areas, are learning and using their skills to regenerate their own area.
Funding from the Area Action Partnership has been used to purchase ‘tool
kits’ for the young apprentices and will be something they can keep as an
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incentive to carry on in their chosen profession. Work has begun on the first
properties and the results are there for all to see.
Durham Constabulary has ensured the Challenge 1000 programme created
new schemes in Darlington. Darlington’s Neighbourhood Watch Association
has been equally as effective in terms of increasing and supporting its
membership and will continue its good work as they apply for funding for the
scheme’s second year. Last year, the scheme won £1,200 worth of funding
which was used to help recruit thousands of new members and promote the
association’s work at a number of events. Over the past year, thanks to a
number of recruitment drives and promotional events, the number of
households in the town signed up to Neighbourhood Watch increased from
18% to 23.6%.
W
e will continue to support individuals or groups who want to take a lead
2.3
Developing Community Assets
role in helping to resolve issues of community concern.
NHW demonstrates significant investment of the time and skills of local people
in the community. The commitment of NHW Coordinators and members
combined with a clear vision and strong support from public services makes
NHW and its family of Watch schemes, a valuable asset in terms of delivering
an altogether safer and altogether better County Durham.
There are a number of active NHW schemes that have a long history of
improving their communities. The ‘Residents Association of Cornsay Colliery
and NHW’ began as a NHW scheme in 1999. For an area covering just 81
households, it has raised significant funds to improve the wellbeing of its
residents; more recently to provide a park that provides activities for all ages.
The East area NHW Association was the first to establish under the new
strategy. It has become a key local asset and as well as delivering its own
solutions to problems it is eager to get involved with partner led activity.
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The Association became an important part of the
Total Home Safety scheme; taking the opportunity to
help protect elderly people and those vulnerable to
burglary. In 2011, NHW Coordinators referred 70
people to the scheme which provided safety and
security measures to the homes of vulnerable
people. Those referrals not only helped make
people feel safer but offered them access to other services; keeping them
warmer, healthier and more independent.
And again in 2012 the Association was actively involved with partner agencies
in organising two safety days funded and run by repairs and maintenance
service provider ‘Morrison’ as part of its national doorstep project.
Coordinators distributed leaflets, and knocked on doors to help residents
vulnerable to doorstep burglary access the scheme. NHW Coordinators also
staffed a stand in the local Community Centre where they talked to local
residents about the benefits of NHW; encouraging them to join. Those
residents accessing the scheme in Horden and Shotton Colliery were given
first hand advice on how to deal with bogus callers, distraction burglary and
rogue traders, as well as fitting door security packs to help protect residents in
their homes.
Reflecting on these successes and with learning about what worked well, a
new project has been developed which will empower NHW Coordinators to
take a lead role.
The Safer Homes project is funded and managed by
Durham County Council and delivered by Durham
Constabulary. It follows a pilot that saw the Safe
Durham Partnership team up with the County Durham
Handyperson scheme. Crime Prevention Officers
referred vulnerable household for 200 security
measures at a significantly lower cost than that of the
Total Home Safety initiative. 91% of customers felt
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safer and 96% felt more independent as a direct result of the work being
carried out. The project has now adopted an innovative approach developed
by Bishop Auckland Police; empowering NHW Coordinators to take a lead
role.
14 NHW Coordinators in the South of the County have put themselves
forward to become Safer Homes Volunteers and have been provided with
volunteer status by Durham Constabulary. More volunteers are being
recruited by the East Area NHW Association as the project is opened up to
other areas of the county. Volunteers have been trained to deliver basic
Crime Prevention advice to those in their neighbourhood who they feel may
be vulnerable to house burglary and who would welcome some help. Our
volunteer from Billy Row has secured his own external funding amounting to
£1,000 to use towards safety equipment for his crime prevention surveys.
More volunteers will be recruited as other areas of County Durham join the
project.
NHW Volunteers will now identify those who need help and carry out a basic
crime prevention survey. Volunteers are supplied with some every-day crime
prevention equipment that they can give free of charge, which includes a
specialist safety kit that can be used when people are away from their home.
W
e will Introduce the Safer Homes scheme across County Durham and
2.4
Connecting services and community assets
increase its scope to include Fire Safety
Exploiting opportunities for connecting services and volunteers will help
contribute to wider outcomes.
County Durham's Countryside Volunteers help to look after our moors,
wooded dales, coastal scenery and wildlife havens nestled amongst urban
areas. They help with building and repairing steps, paths and fences, help
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with guided tours, pick litter, patrol sites and footpaths and report problems.
Countryside Rangers and Volunteers come across rural
crimes and anti-social behaviours and this information
is important in understanding the extent of such issues
and responding to them. Connecting them with police
Community Liaison Officers and NHW Coordinators
means that we can reduce the opportunity for an
individual or group to commit crime and anti-social
behaviour; regardless of the location.
NHW groups are in a unique position to share information and help create
awareness of important issues. Durham County Council and Dale and Valley
Homes accessed funding from the England Illegal Money Lending team who
delivered advocacy training to NHW Coordinators in Stanley, Woodhouse
Close and Peterlee.
Many NHW Coordinators are involved in a wide range of community activity.
such as delivering winter hampers, shopping for someone they know who has
just come out of hospital and other activity that often helps people out of social
isolation and improves their health and wellbeing. We will encourage and
support those whom want to help our volunteers.
W
e will help connect our Watch schemes with a range of services and
volunteer programmes and we will consult with our NHW Coordinators
on the broad scope of work they do with a view to formalising this work
in an initiative covering both County Durham and Darlington.
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Priority 3: Feeling Safe
3.1
Capturing and understanding the impact of NHW Coordinators
The fact that, given the opportunity, a significant part of the population would
like to be part of a NHW scheme indicates the value that people place on
being part of a community group. People have different reasons for joining a
NHW scheme but, more and more, those reasons are leaning towards making
the areas where they live safe, friendly and pleasant places to be. NHW is
owned and run by its members and with this ownership schemes are
broadening their range and their remit.
Watch schemes provide for everyday contact between people and have the
potential for building community cohesion, taking people out of isolation and
helping people build a collective confidence to act when a street or
neighbourhood suffers crime and anti-social behaviour. As this strategy has
proved, people join NHW to get back the safe place they once had. A man
moved in to White House Crescent in Shotton Colliery and began to blight the
lives of his neighbours culminating in large scale damage to resident’s cars
and property. As individuals, residents did not want to speak up for fear of
retribution and did not think that the authorities were dealing with their
problem effectively. However, when neighbours came together to try and find
a solution to the problem they gained in confidence. They created a NHW
scheme and worked closely with their local police and East Durham Homes.
They provided witness statements and were an integral part of the
interventions that were put in place. The problem was resolved and the crime
and anti-social behaviour stopped for good. The Crescent’s NHW Coordinator
is now a valued member of the East Durham Area NHW Association and the
relationship with the police has become a positive one. He remarked upon the
fact that before neighbours joined together to form a NHW scheme, “no-one
spoke to each other” and today, “every-one gets on well together”.
NHW has been County Durham and Darlington’s hidden success story. We
wanted to shine a light on great practice that exists across NHW and ensure
that people are recognised for the time they devote to, and the work they do
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to, reassure their communities. NHW Coordinators are consistently
demonstrating how their efforts contribute to people’s safety, feelings of safety
and their health and wellbeing. The important role for the police and the wider
Safe Durham Partnership is to ensure that great practice is captured, shared
and replicated. Local public services and local communities and businesses
can learn from, and exploit the benefits of, the diverse initiatives and every
day activity that contribute to people’s feelings of safety.
W
e will continue to draw out the value of NHW by capturing and sharing
great practice and encouraging NHW to build in mechanisms that
evidence success.
3.2
Marketing the benefits of joining NHW and getting active
We wanted to use the clear benefits of joining a Watch scheme as a means to
encourage greater membership and community activity.
The Safe Durham Partnership, with the help and
guidance of the Police Business Watch Coordinator
and Durham Agency Against Crime ran an event at
which 60 Business Organisations across County
Durham attended to hear about the progress and
achievements of our Watch Schemes. A Business
Watch video was produced with the help of a local
business woman and a Business Watch Banner
was commissioned alongside an information leaflet. 1,500 leaflets were
distributed during 2012.
The Safe Durham Partnership has supported the
delivery of public NHW events held at Durham and
Bishop Auckland town halls. Awareness-raising
about new initiatives such as Junior NHW have
been carried out at Durham County Councils
Contact Points. The success of the schemes,
including those in Darlington, has been covered by
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twitter, school websites and the national NHW website.
The ‘Challenge 1000’ initiative has been delivered in
every area of County Durham and Darlington.
Officers from Durham Constabulary, often with the
help of NHW Coordinators, have carried out targeted
‘Challenge 1000 Weeks’ designed to help 1,000
households, in that area, join a NHW scheme. This
has had the most significant impact in terms of
increasing membership.
The Safe Durham Partnership has produced 36
information leaflets covering a wide range of
community safety issues. The NHW leaflet helps
people understand more about NHW and how to
join, start or re-start a scheme. In 2012 the NHW
leaflet drew the greatest demand with more than
7,000 handed to, or picked up by, the public;
evidencing the clear interest that our communities
have in this scheme.
Durham Constabulary continues to raise awareness
of the benefits provided by many of the Watch
schemes across the Force area and ensures that the
people who run the schemes get recognition for the
work that they do for their community. The Safe
Durham Partnership has been able to raise the
profile of the strategy at a national level and
continues to raise the profile of Watch Initiatives with
its staff and with the public through County Durham News.
W
e will continue raise awareness, and the profile, of all Watch schemes
across County Durham.
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3.3
Recognising great practice
Whether it is a national award or simply a word of thanks, it is important that
good citizenship is recognised.
Durham Constabulary has put forward a number of schemes and individuals
forward for the 2013 National NHW Awards. The Ushaw Moor Action Group
(UMAG) and the Chair of the Darlington NHW Association have gone through
to the final stage of the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ award. UMAG was also
recognised locally with a Certificate of Appreciation in January 2012 in
recognition of valuable contributions to community safety. UMAG has
received national recognition from Neighbourhood Watch Network and
‘Ourwatch’. It has been cited as best practice in national research
(Showcasing Neighbourhood and Home Watch Achievements),
commissioned by ‘Capacity Builders’, and was also cited in an Australian
Parliamentary inquiry into locally based approaches to community safety and
crime prevention.
NHW members expanded Tanfield Village Neighbourhood Watch, set up
‘Tanfield in Bloom’ and entered ‘Britain in Bloom’. A letter was sent to homes
in the village resulting in adults and children going ‘the extra mile’ to ensure
the Village was awarded the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood Thriving Award’.
Wear and Tees Farm Watch scheme was crowned Best Community Scheme
at the national 2012 Country Crime Fighters Awards. The Award programme
recognised the scheme’s ring round system to alert each other to suspicious
activity and for providing regular patrols of the local area with Durham
Constabulary. It remarked upon how the scheme assisted over 20
prosecutions, and in one operation alone helped recover over £40,000 of
stolen property. The scheme was also acknowledged for continuing to boost
morale in the Wear and Tees area, with local butchers even providing cost
price dinners before patrols so that members can eat together as a
community. The support provided by Durham Constabulary and the
relationship that exists between Farm Watch and the local police is a
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significant factor in the success of farm Watch and underlines the strong bond
that has developed.
Peter Stubbs (front right), founder of Wear and
Tees Farm Watch, has been awarded lifetime
honorary membership of the National Farmers
Union in recognition of 23 years working with his
wife, Gladys, on behalf of the local farming
community to combat rural crime.
W
e will continue to recognise great practice locally, regionally and
nationally.
http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/
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