Objectives of the Neighbourhood Watch

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What is Neighbourhood Watch?
Neighbourhood Watch is a community crime prevention scheme, with Police and community volunteers working together. Neighbourhood Crime Prevention programs have existed in the USA, Canada and the UK since the late 1960s. In Australia, the Neighbourhood Watch scheme began in Victoria in 1983 and was formally launched in New South Wales in the Sydney suburb of Campsie in December, 1984.
Organisation
Police patrols are divided up into Neighbourhood Watch areas. Since Neighbourhood Watch is entirely voluntary, it is up to the local community to establish a group by holding a public meeting and electing a co-ordinator and small committee.
The co-ordinator liaises with local Police, passing on information to the committee and the area's residents by way of public meetings and newsletters.
A typical Neighbourhood Watch Area would have four public meetings a year and the delivery, by volunteer street co-ordinators, of four newsletters a year to each residence in the area.

Newsletters contain information regarding local police issues, safety and crime statistics for the area. The meetings are usually informal, with a guest speaker relevant to community interests and a report from the Beat Police.

Aims of Neighbourhood Watch
Aims include:
1. Minimising the incidence of preventable crime.
2. Increasing the incidence of reporting crime to the Police.
3. Improving the level of personal and household security.
4. Encouraging people to engrave their property for ease of identification if stolen.
5. Improving the relationship between local Police and the community.
Ref: Daley, P. The Neighbourhood Crime Prevention Handbook. 1992