Neighbourhood Watch

Like many places round the country, Neighbourhood Watch schemes are popular in our part of Hampshire.
The idea is for neighbours in a community to keep an eye on what’s going on in any one street or district, with the aim of deterring crime and make it more difficult for would-be thieves, burglars or vandals to create problems.
Neighbours will watch each other’s homes and property and the idea is that if they spot anything suspicious they’ll alert police.
We’ve had a scheme in the part of the road in which we live for some years now, and surrounding areas have each got their own similar groups.  Hampshire Constabulary, like other police forces encourage the formation of these groups.
What is evident is that it brings people who live close together to make a conscious effort to make their neighbourhood a better place to live, while at the same time aims to help families protect themselves and their properties and even reduce the fear of crime by encouraging improved home security, greater vigilance, and undoubtedly fostering a community spirit.  At one time we had regular newsletters from the police, but that seems to have fallen off the communications agenda of late.
It’s over 30 years ago that the first grouping was set up in this country, borrowing an idea imported from the United States.  It’s difficult to guess how many schemes there are now but some estimates suggest that around four million homes are covered by such schemes, maybe a lot more as new residential areas spring up around the country.
Do I feel safer being part of a Neighbourhood Watch area? The answer must be an unequivocal yes, in the knowledge that neighbours around have my welfare in mind just as much as their own.

Some might say I am being nosey by watching out for cars and people visiting the places around, but I like to think that my neighbours are equally inquisitive about anything untoward.