10. How we work with the police
Why is it useful to have Neighbourhood Watch and Home Watchto liaise with the police? The benefit is two-way. Neighbourhood Watch members can ensure the police meet the needs of their communities. This helps the police not just to police directly, but also to advise on safety and applications for support to other agencies.
Police personnel dedicated to working with Neighbourhood Watch are as follows.
Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT)
This will be your main contact for the local force. Click on Police.UK to find your local police force and team. They can help you apply for funding. You can also read our toolkit on fundraising for more ideas.
Safer Neighbourhood Teams
Safer Neighbourhood is a local policing initiative. Teams work with the public to work out an area’s priorities. Check your local police force website for more information.
Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)
These members of Safer Neighbourhood Teams patrol locally, dealing with crime and gathering intelligence. Good relationships with Neighbourhood Watch are important to them, so invite them to meetings. Find out from your local police force website who your PCSO is. Also see the PCSO website.
A monitoring report on PCSOs is available here.
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs)
Police have a statutory duty to work with local agencies against crime. These partnerships are referred to by the title CSP. In some areas they must involve Neighbourhood Watch. A list of organisations involved in CSPs can be seen here.
More on CSPs can be found here and here.
The government paper, Policing: Building Safer Communities Together, says Neighbourhood Watch must be invited to participate in crime reduction initiatives. Find out more from your local PCSO, police force contact point or Safer Neighbourhood Team. You can find out who to contact using our Your local area postcode search.
Example 1: Sherwood and Mapperley Park Neighbourhood Watch (SAMPNW), Nottingham
This association has built a large network of partners including the police, council, Highways Agency and various housing partners. They have an office/drop-in centre at the police station, facilitating work with the force’s Area Management Team and Safer Neighbourhood Team. Regular meetings with the Beat Manager Sergeant led to Neighbourhood Watch setting up on a residential street with anti-social behaviour issues.
Example 2: The Groves Neighbourhood Watch, Hull
This scheme has set up the largest No Cold Calling area in Hull, virtually eradicating what had been a serious problem.
Example 3: Hunters Gate Neighbourhood Watch, Ushaw Moor, County Durham
Formed to respond to youth anti-social behaviour and underage drinking, this group recently prevented the opening of a new alcohol retailer. Police also revoked the licence of a retailer that had been selling alcohol to teenagers.
Example 4: Berryfields Estate Neighbourhood Watch, Cornwall
On this isolated estate once considered ‘no-go’, the group worked to move problem families on, with police providing witness protection and rapid response. Partnerships with officers and housing officers were vital. The group is now looking to establish more of them.
Community payback
This involves convicted criminals doing up to 300 hours work for communities they have harmed. Tasks include removing graffiti, collecting litter, working on community centres and clearing undergrowth. You can nominate a project for Community Payback at Gov.uk.
Find out more
To read in more detail about how we work with the police, download the full version of this toolkit.
Read the next toolkit, Working in your community.
