Many years ago we were burgled. We had recently moved from a semi on a small friendly cul de sac on to a road with larger houses on larger plots. One afternoon I went out for a couple of hours with our 2 young sons and on arrival back home, found that we had been burgled. What we thought was a strong wooden front door had been smashed open . I soon learnt that a door is only as strong as its frame. The thieves had taken the TV and in the rush had dropped one of the speakers by the front door. Fortunately a next door neighbour heard the alarm and was vigilant in noting a description of the car and its registration number. With this information the police were able to catch the thieves and it was reassuring to know they did time in HMP for our house theft and that of other houses too.

The incident left me rather unnerved. What helped me was joining ‘Homewatch’ as it was called at the time. Our street was quite lengthy so I decided to take just a section of the road. I knocked on all doors and everyone warmly welcomed the idea. I set up a meeting at our house and arranged for a guest speaker from the police. It was quite astonishing how neighbours met for the first time even though they had been living side by side for numerous years.

I was working full time in a demanding job and had 2 young children so time was at a premium. This is what I did:

Collated neighbour contact details

Neighbours alerted me to any crime and I shared this with the group.

Set up occasional meetings when time allowed

Supported anyone who had experienced crime

Shared information

Today it’s not that different. Initially email was the main way of communicating. Now it’s WhatsApp and the occasional get together. We have a Neighbourhood Watch WhatsApp group and then another for social matters. Today there’s data confidentiality.

Did you know, 13% of offenders would desist from criminal activity if they saw a Neighbourhood Watch sign?

In those early days of the scheme it helped me feel more confident and happier living in our home. I’d established links so if I needed a neighbour at any time, I had plenty of doors I could knock on. Today our road has a real sense of community which is special and Neighbourhood Watch certainly initiated and has helped to develop this.

If you think this is something you would like to consider setting up in your street, I can highly recommend.

Sally