Policing and Neighbourhood Watch: Strategic Issues

The Home Office Police Research Group (PRG) was formed in 1992 to carry out and manage research relevant to the work of the police service. The terms of reference for the Group include the requirement to identify and disseminate good policing practice. The Crime Detection and Prevention Series follows on from the Crime Prevention Unit papers, a series which has been published by the Home Office since 1983. The recognition that effective crime strategies will often involve both crime prevention and crime investigation, however, has led to the scope of this series being broadened. This new series will present research material on both crime prevention and crime detection in a way that will inform policy and practice throughout the police service. A parallel series of papers on resource management and organisational issues is also published by PRG, as is a periodical on policing research called 'Focus'. The growth of Neighbourhood Watch has been a crime prevention success story. There are now over 130,000 schemes in the United Kingdom all testifying to the commitment felt by the public to working with the police and other groups in controlling crime. Contributing to the launch and maintenance of schemes is not, however, without cost to the police service and the time has now come to think through in a more strategic manner the way in which police support can both effectively and efficiently be delivered. This report, in addition to summarising some of the published research on Neighbourhood Watch, makes some proposals for strategic development which the police, Neighbourhood Watch coordinators and scheme members may like to consider. They are no more than proposals, but we hope they will be helpful in setting out one option for the constructive development of Neighbourhood Watch in the United Kingdom. Background The number of Neighbourhood Watch schemes and the proportion of households covered by schemes has grown dramatically in the United Kingdom over the past decade. All schemes involve local police forces to some extent, and at a time of rising crime and constant pressure on these resources the nature and extent of police involvement in Neighbourhood Watch needs to be kept under review. The report makes a series of proposals for the way in which Neighbourhood Watch might be developed, which it is hoped will stimulate local debate. The social and policing context within which these proposals are made is important and these are discussed …