Dyfed Powys Police... Non-Emergency Number 0845 330 2000
The National Neighbourhood Watch Website
Local Neighbourhood Watch Schemes
Wherever you live, you are part of a community. It may be large or small, in a town or in the country. It might be a housing estate, a rural village, a block of flats, a suburban road or a seaside resort. Unfortunately, regardless of its size your community may be a likely target for the criminal. It is easy to shrug it off and assume that it won't happen to you or that nothing can be done. In fact, much can be done to prevent crime. But the police cannot do it alone.
Each of us has a 'Vital role to play by becoming actively involved in crime prevention. Residents of a community possess a much specialised knowledge of their neighbourhood which even the local 'beat bobby' may find hard to achieve. A police officer might not recognise someone in your garden as a stranger but your neighbour would. It is this kind of awareness and willingness to help that is the basis of Home Watch. By letting the police know of anything suspicious you see or hear, you are helping to reduce the opportunities for crime to occur. The more difficult it can be made for the criminal, the more likely it is that crime can be reduced.
Helping you by helping others
Before going on holiday, many people ask their neighbours to keep an eye on their homes while they are away. But just consider how much more confident you would feel if you knew that you and your neighbours were looking after each other's homes throughout the year.This is what Neighbourhood Watch means.Going to work, going to the shops, out for an evening or away for a weekend - you would always be able to enjoy that sense of security and peace of mind because a Home Watch scheme operates in your area
Neighbourhood Watch belongs to the community
Neighbourhood Watch schemes belong to the community, so firstly the residents must decide that they want to begin and maintain a scheme. Or the police may suggest that a scheme is started. In either case the police will be pleased to advise on its setting up. With the support of the majority of residents Home Watch can operate successfully in many types of community. Most schemes have one or more co-ordinators. These are people who normally spend long periods at home, and who receive information from other residents about anything suspicious they may have seen or heard, and then pass it on to the police. Of course, should anyone spot anything that needs immediate police attention, for example someone trying to break into a car or home, they would still dial 999.
The Aims of Neighbourhood Watch Schemes
To reduce local opportunities for crime thereby deterring would-be thieves and vandals; To establish a community spirit so that everyone can contribute towards the protection of their property by mutual co-operation and communication;To inform the co-ordinator or the police of any suspicious activity.Members of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme are not vigilantes. Patrolling the streets is a job for the police; they will act upon the information supplied by residents. But if you want to help the police in the most direct and practical way of all, why not volunteer to be a Special Constable. You can obtain details from your local police station.
Once a Neighbourhood Watch scheme is operating successfully, the advantages to the community are obvious:The results of Neighbourhood Watch schemes already established show that they can help to reduce local crime such as burglary, vandalism, car thefts and thefts from cars; A better community spirit can be created; Suspicious strangers waiting outside schools, in parks and playgrounds where children congregate, can be quickly reported to the police; Crime prevention advice can be quickly and efficiently circulated throughout the community.
Neighbourhood Watch schemes lead to a greater shared awareness of the problems in your community and to a better understanding of the practical steps that can be taken to tackle these.How to make life difficult for the criminalIt makes the job of a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator much easier if individual residents take steps to make their own homes and property as secure as possible.
It is important to make sure that your home has security locks, for these will deter the opportunist thief. Ground floor and those upper windows easily accessible at the back are favourite points of entry for the burglar. Window locks can make it extremely difficult for the thief to break in without making a lot of attention-drawing noise. Good quality security locks on external doors can stop a criminal from easily getting in and from making an easy escape. If he breaks into a home that has these he will have to climb out through a window. This obviously slows him up and increases the chances of his being seen by a neighbour or a passer-by.
Good security locks make life difficult for the criminal, so he is not likely to have much success at a home where they are fitted. Such locks are available from good hardware shops, builders' merchants and locksmiths. Advice can be obtained about the type of lock suitable for the various sorts of doors and windows from the local police Crime Prevention Officer and from locksmiths. Fit window lock:Never leave key under a mat or on the door:Don't leave lad where burglars can use them:Fit security locks to outside door:Lock garage doors:
Property Coding
Valuable property, especially TVs, videos, stereos, cameras, etc - often the burglar's favourite targets should be marked with your postcode followed by the house number or the first two letters of the house name. Property can be marked by etching, die stamping, branding, engraving, and identification paint or by a security marker pen which uses invisible ink that can only be read under a ultra-violet lamp. Cycles should also be post coded by die-stamping the bottom bracket. The police will be able to advise owners where this can be done. Cycles should also always be locked when not in use. In the event of a theft, these coding methods and details would enable the police to identify the property as stolen, and, when recovered, return it to the rightful owners.
Photographs
Photographs (preferably colour) should be taken of all valuable possessions such as antiques, paintings and jewellery. Use a plain background, and include a ruler so that the size can be indicated. Such photographs together with a full detailed description of the item should be kept in a secure place, if possible, other than the home. Jewellers may be prepared to postcode delicate items.
Garages and Sheds
These should always be kept locked so that the thief cannot use your tools and ladders to help him break into your home, or a neighbour's.
Cars and other vehicles
Always make sure that windows are shut and all doors are locked even when the vehicle is left on your own drive. And never leave any valuables in the vehicle itself. How to make your community more secureBy being a good neighbour and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious you can help to make your community more secure. These are some of the things you should report:Strangers knocking on front doors or peering through windows then disappearing round the back or loitering suspiciously; Strangers hanging round schools, playing fields, etc, and approaching children; Open windows in houses where the owners are out or on holiday; Strangers trying car doors;Anything that you believe is suspicious.
DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT
Whenever you pass on information, remember that accurate descriptions of suspected people and vehicles, etc, will save time and confusion.An exact description of what you have seen; the time; the place;The person(s) involved: approximate age, sex,Height, build, unusual characteristics, clothing worn, and any other distinguishing features;The vehicles involved: registration number (even part of this number might help), make and model (if known), colour and direction of travel. Advice on all aspects of crime prevention is freely available from the Crime Prevention Officer at your local police station.
GOOD NEIGHBOURS - KEEP WATCH & CUT CRIME
F10 Published by the Home Office Communication Directorate 2001
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland
