Thousands of Cumbrians will be recognised for their hard work in cutting crime as part of their local Neighbourhood Watch schemes this weekend.
The Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Association's AGM will take place this Saturday at the University of Cumbria, Newton Rigg Campus near Penrith, with Cumbria’s Chief Constable Craig Mackey, addressing the meeting.
Neighbourhood Watch members covering more than 30,000 households in Cumbria volunteer to keep their communities safer and this weekend will give volunteers the chance to review their acheivements and discuss the future of their organisation.
David Farmer, project manager for the Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Project, who is looking at the way ahead for Neighbourhood Watch in Cumbria, the county`s Chief Fire Officer and new chair of Safer and Stronger Communities Thematic Partnership Dominic Harrison, Cumbria County Councillor Barbara Cannon, cabinet member for the voluntary sector, and Cumbria`s High Sheriff Graham Lamont.
Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch currently has over 2,300 registered local schemes representing around 30,000 households across the county and information from volunteers to Cumbria Constabulary and other crime reduction partners helps prevent crime and reassure communities.
In Cumbria, the Neighbourhood Watch movement embraces more than just domestic properties and includes a number of initiatives that bring residents and the police together to help create safer, stronger communities throughout the county.
Farm Watch, Poacher Watch and Camp Watch are just some of the diverse strands of Neighbourhood Watch which use a mixture of modern technology and police intelligence to protect property and reduce incidents of crime.
Dr John Perkins, chair of the Neighbourhood Watch Association, said: "We are grateful to Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Constabulary and their partners for working with us throughout the last year. This weekend will allow us to highlight the great work that all our volunteers do. It will also let members have their say in the way forward for Neighbourhood Watch and the Association in Cumbria."
Successful crime-fighting techniques used by Neighbourhood Watch schemes include Voice Connect, which is an automated messaging system that is used to keep Neighbourhood Watch members up-to-date with information and police intelligence within their local area. Over the last year information shared between the police and members has led to the successful detection of over 30 serious offences.
Smartwater is a revolutionary product that has been used across Cumbria to reduce incidents of quad bike theft by 35% since 2005. Products marked with Smartwater have an individual DNA like quality that can irrefutably link property with its owner and therefore the criminals involved. Evidence has proved that residents and businesses using Smartwater are five times less likely to become a victim of theft or burglary.
The Trespass scheme has also proved to be an extremely effective deterrent against individuals who prey on rural farming properties. This works by targeting individuals through police intelligence and warning them that if they trespass on private land they may be the subject of criminal proceedings or have an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) placed on them. This scheme has recently been recognised nationally as an example of best practice in Policing.
More information about all these schemes can be found by contacting your local community safety officer detailed below or accessing the Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch website at http://www.cumbria-nhw.org/ (external link)
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