A former Chief Crown Prosecutor for Cumbria is helping to make the county a safer place by becoming the new project manager for Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Association.
David Farmer, who will be based at Cumbria County Council's communities unit, will help the county's Neighbourhood Watch scheme develop into a thriving and sustainable Third Sector organisation. He will drive the organisation's business planning and partnership working programme as future funding for the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund, which currently supports Neighbourhood Watch by funding local development officers, is no longer guaranteed.
Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch currently has over 2,300 registered local schemes representing around 30,000 households across the county. Information from Neighbourhood Watch volunteers to Cumbria Constabulary and other crime reduction partners helps prevent crime and reassure communities. Neighbourhood Watch initiatives such as Smartwater and Trespass schemes have made a significant contribution to falling crime trends in Cumbria.
Ted Stacey, Acting Chairman of Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Association said:
"We are grateful to Cumbria County Council and their partners for working with us on this project. Neighbourhood Watch volunteers are committed to helping their communities and the support from our key partners and stakeholders is vital to enable us to continue the fight against crime and disorder. "
Project Manager David Farmer said:
"This is an important opportunity to ensure that an organisation which provides so much to community safety and well being continues on a sound basis in the future. "
Sergeant Andy Baines said: "Cumbria Constabulary welcome the appointment of a project manager and will be working closely with David, and other key partners, to help develop a sustainable future for Neighbourhood Watch in Cumbria."
Anyone interested in supporting Neighbourhood Watch by becoming a member or setting up a local scheme can find more details on the website http://www.cumbria-nhw.org/ (external link) or telephone Andrea Bell 01539 818681 (South Lakes, email andrea.bell@cumbria.police.uk), Paul Caine 01228 558257 (North Cumbria and Eden, email paul.caine@cumbria.police.uk), John Thornthwaite 01900 60453 (West Cumbria, email john.thornthwaite@cumbria.police.uk), Mick Turner 01229 848911 (Furness, mick.turner@cumbria.police.uk).
Notes
1. David Farmer worked for the Crown Prosecution Service in Lancashire, the North East, Cumbria and for CPS Headquarters in London, before retiring in January 2008. He was Chief Crown Prosecutor for Cumbria between April 1999 and June 2005. A jpeg of David is attached.
2. The responsibility for the administration and advancement of Neighbourhood Watch rests with the Board of Trustees of Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Association, which is both a charity and company limited by guarantee.
3. The Board of Trustees includes representatives of local Neighbourhood Watches and other organisations such as the police.
4. The vision of CNWA is that through the commitment of the community to crime prevention, Cumbria will be a safer place in which to live and work.
5. The aim is to promote good citizenship and greater public participation in the prevention and solution of crime and community safety, in particular by the effective liaison between the police, the local authority and public.
6. Each local Neighbourhood Watch scheme is a community initiative supported (not run) by the police.
ENDS
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