Safer Neighbourhoods

Neighbourhood Watch Schemes have helped Southampton City Council and Hampshire Constabulary reduce overall crime in Southampton for five years in a row.

You could soon be joining a network of approximately four million households in the UK and 4,200 households in Southampton who want to volunteer together to create safe and friendly places to live, where crime is less likely to happen and people are less likely to turn to antisocial behaviour.

Becoming a coordinator is an important role and it has become even easier to join up. It’s about you looking out for your neighbours and them looking out for you. It’s about making sure that no one need feel alone, scared or vulnerable in the place where they live.

Read below to find out how you can set up a Watch in your area, no matter how big or small your community is.

Neighbourhood Watch can benefit whole communities as well as individuals. Benefits include:

• Exclusive access to emergency text notification tool, Alert Cascade.
• Be the first to know about the latest Crime Prevention advice.
• Get to know your local Police Neighbourhood Team
• Quarterly newsletters to forward to your members
• Two free signs for display in your neighbourhood
• Specialist crime reduction advice and training to improve home security
• Invitation for you and your members to an annual conference.
• Information on local events that you and your Watch can get involved in, including details of the annual Neighbourhood Watch Week.

• Get a discount on your home insurance.

How a scheme looks and operates is up to you and your neighbours. You know your street best. All watches are different, some hold informal meetings and some just pass on information to their neighbours.

You may want to start a scheme because you are:

• new to your street and keen to get to know your neighbours and look after your new neighbourhood.
• a member of a Tenants Association who wants to strengthen your group by joining Neighbourhood Watch.
• a block rep who would like to accredit your flats as a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.

• a victim of crime and want to join this crime prevention initiative.

Follow these five easy steps to set up and run your watch.

1. Talk to your neighbours. Ask them if they want to be involved. Don’t be deterred - sometimes people need time to think about things.
2. Compile and maintain a list of members’ contact details. Emails are sometimes the quickest way to share information. If you don’t have Internet access, ask someone else to act as the communicator for your Watch.
   Remember to ask them how they want to be communicated to. They may not want to come to meetings but may still appreciate being sent updates and newsletters.
3. Register your interest by calling the Safer Communities Team on 023 8083 2013 or email neighbourhood.watch@southampton.gov.uk.
   As a co-ordinator your contact details will be held on a database at Southampton City Council and can be shared with the police. Your details will not be shared with any other groups or organisations.
4. Arrange an initial meeting and we will try and get someone from your local police team to attend.

5. Remember to always welcome newcomers to your neighbourhood and ask if they wish to join the watch.

• Enquire Online by following the link on the right side of this page,
• Download an information pack and application form (see link below),
• Contact a Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator using the Safer Communities contact details below, or
• Contact your Police Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101.

We will help you contact your neighbours to see if they are supportive of a scheme. We'll also support you to set up a meeting inviting all of the households in the area and a representative from the police. All you then need to do is nominate yourself or select someone else to act as the coordinator.

It’s as easy as that.