About Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch schemes can play an important part in
creating safer communities by reducing crime and the fear of
crime. Their main aims are:
- To reduce opportunities for crime and to make it more difficult for the would-be thief, vandal or criminal to act in that neighbourhood;
- To build up a community spirit so that neighbours work together for everybody's benefit, with particular attention to the needs of those who are especially vulnerable by reason of age, infirmity or isolation;
- To pass on information to the Police about any suspicious incidents that occur.
- When to use the 101 number
Organisation
Schemes are formed by groups of neighbours, one of
whom is identified as the Scheme Coordinator.
Any number of households can make up a scheme, but its size should
be limited to that with which the Coordinator can keep contact on a
regular basis. All schemes are self-governing
and set their own priorities to meet the needs of the neighbourhood
where they live. All households receive a crime
prevention literature pack free of charge, and the Coordinator also
receives an advisory handbook published by the Hampshire
Neighbourhood Watch Association.
Police
Community Beat Officers are responsible for
maintaining regular contact with the Neighbourhood Watch schemes on
their beat.
Whilst schemes can exist independently the Police
recognise the benefits of creating a structure for Neighbourhood
Watch so that members can take greater responsibility for the
administration, servicing and development of
schemes. The Eastleigh & Romsey
Neighbourhood Watch Association does this for Eastleigh Borough
and Southern Test Valley. Similar Associations
exist in other parts of the county, and representatives from these
make up the Hampshire Neighbourhood Watch
Association, which meets regularly
with Hampshire Constabulary
Headquarters staff.
Communications
It is important to maintain regular
communication between the Police, the Association and the
members. The Eastleigh & Romsey NWA
publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, watch
out! This is delivered free
of charge to all member households in Eastleigh and Southern Test
Valley. The Police also issue a weekly Crime
Bulletin which gives details of recent domestic
crime: this is sent by e-mail to scheme
Coordinators. All householders are encouraged to
report suspicious activities to the Police so that appropriate
action can be taken. Click on the links above to
see the most recent newsletters and bulletins.
Single Non-emergency Number
Hampshire will become the first area in England
and Wales to go live with the single non-emergency number, 101, on
Monday, May 15. 101 is the new telephone number for the communities
to secure advice and action on safety and anti-social behaviour
issues.
The service is designed to improve the delivery
of non-emergency services by ensuring a better co-ordinated
response by local agencies, while freeing up the 999 service to
handle emergency incidents.
101 will be provided by Hampshire Constabulary and local authorities within the county working together to deliver services and handle calls. Hampshire is the first of five areas in the first wave of the roll out of 101, which will be available across England and Wales by 2008.
Hampshire Constabulary was chosen to be the launch force partly due to their excellent records in call handling and call management. The 101 service has been set up to give communities direct access to the services they want. The initial scope of the service has been developed through research and consultation with local authority and police force partnerships.
The core service will cover:
· Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property
· Noisy neighbours
· Intimidation and harassment
· Abandoned vehicles
· Rubbish and litter, including fly tipping
· People being drunk or rowdy in public places
· Drug related anti-social behaviour and
· Street lighting
Following wide consultation with stakeholders, industry experts and research within communities, calls to 101 will be charged at a fixed rate of ten pence per call, whether from landlines or mobile phones. This will be reviewed by the Home Office with the intention that it could become free of charge to call 101.
101 will be provided by Hampshire Constabulary and local authorities within the county working together to deliver services and handle calls. Hampshire is the first of five areas in the first wave of the roll out of 101, which will be available across England and Wales by 2008.
Hampshire Constabulary was chosen to be the launch force partly due to their excellent records in call handling and call management. The 101 service has been set up to give communities direct access to the services they want. The initial scope of the service has been developed through research and consultation with local authority and police force partnerships.
The core service will cover:
· Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property
· Noisy neighbours
· Intimidation and harassment
· Abandoned vehicles
· Rubbish and litter, including fly tipping
· People being drunk or rowdy in public places
· Drug related anti-social behaviour and
· Street lighting
Following wide consultation with stakeholders, industry experts and research within communities, calls to 101 will be charged at a fixed rate of ten pence per call, whether from landlines or mobile phones. This will be reviewed by the Home Office with the intention that it could become free of charge to call 101.
