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Introducing the Croydon Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association
In the past, individual Neighbourhood Watches tended to have to operate alone and rely on the police for information. Some watches had the support of Residents Associations. Co-ordinators within Residents' Associations have contact with each other but outside of these areas Co-ordinators lack this benefit. All Co-ordinators need the opportunity to communicate with and to help each other. Meetings go only part way towards providing this so the idea of a Neighbourhood Watch Association emerged and with South Norwood and Croydon Police Divisions amalgamating to form a Borough Police division, it made sense to form a borough wide association.
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998
requires the police and local authorities to work in partnership with all the
key statutory and voluntary agencies to combat crime and disorder in the borough.
In drawing up the strategy or plan for dealing with crime and disorder, the
local community must be consulted about their concerns. This is where Neighbourhood
Watch comes in. This was why it was so important to establish the Association
and provide a representative voice of the Neighbourhood Watch members in Croydon.
A Steering Group planned a launch meeting for the Croydon Borough Neighbourhood
Watch Association in October 2000, and the project was duly launched. The Steering
Committee continued in post until the Annual General Meeting in November 2001
at the Fairfield Halls. The new committee was elected at the AGM and is now
working hard on several major projects which will be taking place this year.
The Association has the full support of Croydon Police and
the Council. Last year we produced three copies of the Croydon Eye newsletter
for all the co-ordinators in the borough. This year we are planning to increase
the copies to six and twice a year provide enough so that every member of Neighbourhood
Watch in the borough has the opportunity to read it. Other plans include a Spring
Conference on the topic of bogus caller crime and helping the Police and Council
to set up Neighbourhood Watch schemes in the higher crime areas, The Council
has agreed to give us a grant to help towards our running costs, but we will
be actively seeking sponsorship for some of the major projects we have planned
for this year.
During 2001 we enjoyed working with colleagues in the Croydon Fire Service and
plan to continue to support their campaigns for better fire safety in the home.
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all those people who have
worked so hard to get the Association established.
Sue Yoxall
Chair
For further details of the scheme and advice on safety and security use the links below:
