Home Watch (also known as Neighbourhood Watch) involves residents coming together to create safer communities in which to live. It operates through a network of district associations and schemes that:  

• are run by residents and are supported by the police
• are set up using guidelines approved by Norfolk Constabular vary in size
• are maintained by a Co-ordinator and sometimes a small committee who manage the scheme and liaise with police and partners
• take steps to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour

 

Objectives of Home Watch

Home Watch in Norfolk has four main objectives:

To prevent crime

By improving security, being the ‘eyes and ears’ of your neighbourhood and protecting the most vulnerable members of the community.

To help with the detection of criminals

By sharing information with the police allowing them to be intelligence-led.

To reduce undue fear of crime

By providing accurate information about risks, supporting victims, promoting a sense of security and a caring community.

To improve Police-Community relations

Through regular contact between Home Watch and the police.

 

Support from outside the Scheme

Other bodies are interested in co-operating with and supporting Home Watch Schemes include Safer Neighbourhood Teams*, Local Action Groups, Parish Councils, District Councils, Crime Prevention Panels, Tenants/Residents Associations, Voluntary Organisations and Businesses. They share a common interest with Home Watch in respect of the welfare and safety of local people.

We encourage schemes to develop links with local groups and organisations to find out what they can do to help each other. They could assist in many ways, such as by providing information, sponsorship or help ‘in kind’. They may be able to help with providing rooms for meetings or access to photocopying facilities.

It may be helpful for a Home Watch scheme to have some form of formal link to them. For example, a Parish Council may be encouraged to form a Home Watch sub-committee. We believe that each scheme needs to work out – "what best suits them within their local situation".

Since the 1998 Crime and Disorder (Section 17) all Statutory Organisations including Parish Councils have a duty to assist in the Reduction of Crime.

 

Safer Neighbourhood Teams *

The advent of Safer Neighbourhood Teams throughout Norfolk, afford Home Watch members an opportunity of having a greater input into the direction of local policing within their communities. This can be achieved by attending the regular meetings held by their Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Details of meetings can be obtained from your local Safer Neighbourhood Team or by visiting the Safer Neighbourhood pages following the links to your local team.

 

Funding Arrangements

Norfolk Constabulary supplies a ‘Resource Pack’ for the Co-ordinator and a range of crime prevention literature for the members.

In general, however, Home Watch schemes need to be self-funding. There are also likely to be minimal administration costs incurred by the Co-ordinator for telephone calls, postage, stationery, travel, etc.

Funding would also be needed for any project that the scheme undertakes, equipment it purchases and newsletters it produces.

Schemes can raise funds in a variety of ways. Some levy a subscription charge of around £2 per year. Others organise fundraising events.

We hope you will agree that for most people the contribution needed from individual households are modest. What’s more, membership of Home Watch may enable you to claim a much larger discount on your home insurance and on other purchase.

Above all, it is a small investment when set against the benefits that a successful scheme brings. Most home insurance companies offer a discount for members of Home Watch Scheme.

 

Next Step

Norfolk Constabulary supports Home Watch and believes that it can bring important benefits to local communities. They would like to see a scheme set up in your neighbourhood. However, two important points needs to be emphasised:

Firstly, it must be realised that setting up a scheme will not in itself prevent crime. Success depends on what follows as a result of the scheme being formed. Home Watch is only worthwhile, if you are prepared to do something to make our neighbourhood safer.

This might involve keeping an eye on your neighbour’s home when it is empty or helping to organise an event to promote awareness, of the need for security.

Secondly, although the police provide support and encouragement for Home Watch, they do not run the schemes. Community initiatives are organised and run by local people.

The success of Home Watch depends on the interest and involvement of its members. The requirement is that a sufficient number of local residents are in favour of starting a scheme.