For those who are not familiar with Neighbourhood Watch, you are members automatically by just living in the area (see our map lower down this blog), and there are no charges or fees at meetings whatsoever, or even voluntary collections. So what happens at NHW meetings?
You will be greeted and asked to sign an attendance list and take a seat. The meeting will begin with talks from the coordinator and committee who conduct the formal business as quickly as possible. The guest speaker(s) will give very brief talks and feedback on earlier issues. Questions may be asked at any time. The Police Liason Officer and coordinator then discuss the crimes committed in our area over the last three months. As much time as possible will then be given to new questions and issues raised by the audience.
Free refreshments are available during this last part of the meeting, with a chance to meet your neighbours, police representative and local councillor/member of parliament, who give good service to our group, listening to concerns, giving feedback and taking action where possible.
Once again, I repeat the message from the police and Crime Prevention Office, that statistics show over and over again that the best defence against crime is a strong Neighbourhood Watch. Where neighbours know each other and look out for one another, crime goes down. Joining NHW is a very good way of getting to know your neighbours and the streets near your house. This doesn't mean being intrusive and it doesn't involve a lot of time, even for the committee and block coordinators, it just means being alert to things that look and sound "wrong", and knowing who to call about it.
BUT ABOVE ALL, JUST COME TO OUR MEETINGS!!
Margaret McDermott, Coordinator
