The latest news.
The Sleaford and District Neighbourhood Watch
Association
After more than three years being dormant due to several of the
Committee moving away, and illnesses, a recent Special General Meeting
appointed a Steering Committee to regularise matters.
Having secured the banking arrangements and having made personal contact
by email or letter with each of the 250+ coordinators in the District,
there will now be an AGM to plan the way forward.
The Chair of the Steering Committee, John Bennett, says:
“it is pointless dwelling on the
recent past and its problems – that is done and dusted! What is now
important is to find a way forward so that the Association can perform a
useful part of the wider scheme. This is particularly relevant because
of the on-going discussion document from the Home Office about local
policing and crime reduction. One small part of what is called the Big
Society is seen as making more of Neighbourhood Watch schemes.
Everyone will have some
ideas on how best NHW can move forward in this new era. Gone for ever is
the old image of “curtain twitchers” – it is already much more than this
ever was. Most schemes have a working arrangement with their local PCSO
already. There is a suggestion that this link should be more formalised.
Chapter 5, paragraph 8 of ‘Policing in the 21st
Century’ states “Neighbourhoods are the key building block for the Big
Society; they are where people engage and where frontline services are
delivered.”
This brings me to this
Association – the Sleaford and District; and I would want the emphasis
to be on the “and District”.
On its own it can do very little – but, with the cooperation of the 250+
members it can, and in my opinion
should, provide a strong link direct to the local policing body.
There are logistical
problems that need to be overcome – and overcome very quickly if we are
to take a real and meaningful part in the Plan.
Communication is the
real heart of the whole system. This has to be efficient, fast, easy to
access and use, relevant. But above all, it must be seen as underpinning
the whole system.
A dedicated website –
with provision for each coordinator (and any authorised official) to
make direct and often informal contributions – is just one idea. If we
do nothing else, we should be looking to the future and doing our best
to make communication easier
Having said all this,
nothing will get done without a Committee to take over from the Steering
Committee. Without the basic three (Chair, Treasurer and Secretary) the
Association has no immediate future. A clear vision for the future needs
to be formulated and then put into action.
Ideally, we should aim
for at least one watch in every village; one in each street would be
fantastic!”