9. Tone of voice
Our work is about creating safe, pleasant communities rather than fear of crime. The aim is to bring people together for the good of all, not create an atmosphere of suspicion.
Because we believe everyone has a right to feel safe where they live, we aim to inspire participation. We use clear, simple language to talk about realistic solutions, showing how people can make a difference. And we use true stories and quotations to bring our points to life.
Keep it friendly and inspiring
Do say
- Looking out for each other
- Working for a safer neighbourhood
- Community
- Secure
Don't say
- Keeping watch
- Stamping out crime
- Vigilant
- Fear
Keep it simple
We keep communications short, clear, human and informative, using down-to-earth, conversational language with no jargon or euphemisms.
Do say
- Use
- To
- Possible
Don't say
- Utilise
- In order to
- Not possible
When you write large blocks of text, always check whether they could be shorter. Make sure your writing is clear, not repetitive and has a governing theme. Break it down into manageable chunks, with headings, bullet points and box-outs.
Vary sentence length
Short sentences are best, but mix it up to keep it interesting. If your sentences are all short, your text will be dull and robotic.
Speak to people
Make it personal. Use ‘you’ and ‘we’ and convey a clear sense that people can take action and get involved.
Do say
- Would you like to make your home safer? We can help.
Don't say
- Neighbourhood Watch supplies information and supposrt to individuals who want to make their properties more secure.
Use the active not the passive voice
Do say
- We provided home safety advice
Don't say
- Home safety advice was provided by us
Full guidelines
Download the full version of our Tone of Voice Guidelines.
Find out more
Read the next toolkit, How we work with the police.
