Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch is the largest community safety organisation in the British Isles with an estimated 10million members.

Neighbourhood Watch works by developing close liaison between households in a neighbourhood and the neighbourhood policing teams. It aims to help people protect themselves and their properties and to reduce the fear of crime by means of improved home security, greater vigilance, accurate reporting of suspicious incidents to the police and by fostering a good community spirit.

In the Isle of Man we have 4,000 residents involved in schemes all over the Island which have proved successful in reducing crime in the areas in which they have been set up.

Objectives of Neighbourhood Watch

• To prevent 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 undue fear of crime by providing accurate information about risks and by promoting a sense of security and community spirit, particularly amongst the more vulnerable members of the community.
• To improve police/community liaison by providing effective communications through the new neighbourhood Inspectors and their officers and through the building personal relationships between community officers, co-ordinators and scheme members. In the future co-ordinators will receive early warning of local crime trends which they can disseminate to their scheme members, and by members informing the police of incidents when they occur.

Neighbourhood Watch schemes are run by their members through a Co-ordinator and are supported by the Police and through the Isle of Man Neighbourhood Watch Association.

Schemes can vary in size. A volunteer resident co-ordinator supervises the scheme and liaises with the police. They receive information and messages to keep them in touch with activities, and some have marker kits, alarms and other security items, which are available to members.

It must be recognised that the scheme is a community initiative, which is supported by the police, not run by them, so success depends on what the members make of it. The police can't deal with all the problems and issues arising from crime and anti-social behaviour alone; they need the help of the whole Island community. Neighbourhood Watch provides a way for residents to play an important part in addressing this balance and making their communities safer.

The Co-ordinator

The role of a Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator is to set up and/or maintain a Neighbourhood Watch scheme within a specific neighbourhood/area. You will need to contact the officer mentioned in the contact section who will clarify what is involved and the initial steps to take. The following are suggested as the main duties which co-ordinators will need to manage.

• Encourage vigilance amongst scheme members and actively encourage the early reporting of suspicious incidents to the police.
• Receive News Letters from the Neighbourhood Watch Association and distribute to scheme members.
• Encourage scheme members to be aware of and put into practice crime prevention measures, such as property marking and security devices.
• Keep a check on vulnerable households and provide advice to members about dealing with callers at the door.
• Circulate other relevant information to scheme members.
• Welcome newcomers to the neighbourhood/area and invite them to be part of the scheme.
• Supply each scheme member with Neighbourhood Watch and crime prevention literature, such as Neighbourhood Watch window stickers and incident report cards.

Signs

The Department of Home Affairs has funded 1,000 signs to replace the old weatherbeaten signs and provides signs for new schemes. The new signs are proving popular and are more robust so should survive the Island’s occasional winter strong wind and heavy rain.

Signs can be supplied, only to registered schemes, by contacting 694324.

Signs are limited to two per scheme unless a good case can be made for additions.

Contacts

If you would like to be part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in your area, contact the following officers:-

• Sergeant Wendy Barker on 631321 (Douglas Lord Street)
• PC Tony Lawler on 675190 (Onchan, Braddan and Willaston)
• PC Julie Dawson 832222 (South)
• PC Joan Whaley 812234 (North)

They can provide you with you further information or will put you in contact with the Neighbourhood Watch Association.

The Isle of Man Neighbourhood Watch Association

The Isle of Man Neighbourhood Watch Association is the umbrella organisation that oversees Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in the Isle of Man. Since the sad decision to wind up of the National Association in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man Association has continued and it is understood moves are being made by the Home Office to provide support in the United Kingdom.

Please follow this link to the Home Office Neighbourhood Watch Website

The Isle of Man Executive Committee meets on a monthly basis and has a membership elected at the annual general meeting. The current membership is:-

• Mrs Glenda Corkish, Chair
• Eric Beale, Treasurer
• Kevin Weir, Secretary
• Sue Sayle, member
• Rosemary Mazzone, member
• Ali Vondy, member
• Julian Lalor-Smith, National Co-ordinator

An Isle of Man Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter is produced three times a year. Please see below the most recent edition. The newsletter includes reports for the Neighbourhood Inspectors in relation to issues in their area along with general crime reduction advice.

Downloadable Documents
NHW Update 2008 (2293 kb) Format:Acrobat PDF File NHW Update 2008

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