Peterborough
Being Part of Neighbourhood Watch Without Being Online.
- It is important for everyone to be included in their neighbourhood watch. They live in the same neighbourhood, on the same road or street as all the other neighbours. Clearly it is very useful for all to be online and be able to receive messages from their coordinator and neighbourhood alerts from the varies sources including the police.
- Do you have a neighbour that is online and can keep you updated on news and messages.?
- Do you have a friend, family or relation that could be your point of contact for receiving information online?
- Sometimes your coordinator or other neighbour Watch scheme members will keep in contact with you on a regular basis as part of neighbour-to-neighbour support because of some degree of vulnerability. e.g., age, mobility etc.
- Perhaps you could assist with running the scheme by assisting with the coordinating role, making some telephone calls to assist with resolving local issues or problems. Helping when a neighbour would benefit from a visit acting as a good neighbour.
- It goes without saying, you don’t need to be online should you witness some suspicious behaviour, and you call 999 or 101 to make a report. Keeping a general lookout as part of your day-to-day routine all helps.
- Some will keep a diary or use notes on a mobile phone and record things they see and witness for future records.
- One of the fundamentals of an active neighbourhood watch is to keep active. Active includes neighbours having some form of contact with each other, maybe socially for example. Some run coffee mornings with others have a summer barbecue. Can you help in any way to make it happen?
- Other alternatives to having to be online include the use of mobile phones and the use of texting neighbours. Part of the neighbour-to-neighbour support often includes taking in a parcel for the neighbour who is away, keeping a check on a neighbour’s house while they are away or pet or child sitting. You don’t need to be online should you notice a suspicious vehicle or people, as soon as you can write down the car number or what any suspicious person looked like and wearing. Report report report- call the police on 999 if suspected offenders are still there otherwise it 101.
- Do ensure you report this type of information to the police and your coordinator.
- We have some Watch schemes with coordinators who, from time to time, will print an e-mailed message and deliver it to those neighbours who are not online.
- Another area of what routine neighbourhood should be watching activity, is having in place the basic crime prevention arrangements around your home.
- If a resident has poor health or limited mobility for example, any carers should, ideally, be connected to the neighbourhood watch network and certainly know how to contact the coordinator.
