Roedean and the Cliff Neighbourhood Watch
Local Resident Co-ordinator: Philippa Wilson
To join our NHW scheme please follow this link ourwatch.org.uk/scheme/30797
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH – HOW IT WORKS
Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) has been in existence for over 25 years and is the single largest voluntary organisation in the country. It is overseen by the Home Office which liaises with the voluntary side through the National NHW Association and County NHW Federations. Police forces are officially responsible for approving, registering, and supporting all schemes. www.sussexnwfed.org.uk
The Sussex Neighbourhood Watch Federation have regular meetings at Police HQ in Lewes, and NHW schemes in Sussex are supported by the Sussex Neighbourhood Watch Association as well as the local police.
Individual schemes are run by members through a volunteer local Resident Co-ordinator, and schemes can vary in size from just a few neighbours to a whole village. Some areas and villages also have an Area Co-ordinator.
Any resident may join an existing scheme, or may start a new scheme if one does not exist in their immediate vicinity. Neighbourhood Watch relies on the participation of the neighbours who live in the area, whether this be a close, a road, or a block of flats. NHW is a community initiative which is supported by the police, not run by them, so success depends on what the members make of it!
Anonymity is the offenders’ strongest weapon. NHW groups take away that weapon by acting as the eyes and ears of the community, and it has been shown that NHW members are less likely to be targeted by criminals.
The aim of Neighbourhood Watch is to make our neighbourhoods more secure, and our communities feel safer by working closely with Sussex Police and other partnership bodies.
The objectives of NHW are:
- To reduce crime: By improving security, increasing vigilance, creating, and maintaining a caring community, and reducing opportunities for crime by increasing crime prevention awareness
- To assist the police in detecting crime: By promoting effective communication and the prompt reporting of suspicious and criminal activity.
- To reduce the fear of crime: By providing accurate information about risks, and by promoting a sense of security and community spirit, particularly amongst the more vulnerable.
- To improve police/community liaison: By providing effective means to notify Co-ordinators of local crime trends, and by members advising the police of incidents when they occur.
- To increase community safety: By providing safety information from other Partnership bodies such as Trading Standards and the Fire & Rescue Service.
Role of a Neighbourhood Watch member:
Being a member of NHW simply means taking sensible precautions such as:
Marking valuable items and keeping your home secure.
Passing relevant information about crime to the police, and keeping in contact with your local co-ordinator. Keeping up-to-date by reading the latest police supplied crime reports and crime prevention literature.
Sussex Police – Working for a Safer Sussex
To report a non urgent crime please go to https://sussex.police.uk/contact-us/report-online/
You can help protect your property by using UV Marker pens to identify them. If you would like more information or to purchase a pen please contact Philippa Wilson using this link blenkarneforever@btinternet.com
NHW and the police also recommend registering your property which you can do at the following website www.immobilise.com