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NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Welcome
to Neighbourhood Watch. Becoming a member
means you are part of a nationwide initiative to help your community stay how
you want it to be - safe, free from crime and somewhere you can enjoy a good
quality of life.
A
Neighbourhood Watch member is an important part of Neighbourhood Watch. You
are the eyes and ears for your street, passing information either to your
street co-ordinator or direct to the police.
This
information is very helpful as it is part of the bigger picture. With your help we can put the jigsaw of
crime together. Each piece of
information you pass either direct to us or via an area co-ordinator could be
the missing piece of the puzzle. That
is why we need to know what you know. You are the best people to understand
your area, you are the ones who will
know who is usually around, who is away, who is having windows cleaned, work
done to their property, whose car is missing, which tradesmen usually come to
your street, and so on. You are the people who will notice
things that are out of the ordinary in your road.
Hampshire
Constabulary and Neighbourhood Watch have worked in partnership for a long time
and we continue to value your input. In
order to work effectively together we would like to offer some advice. The attached sheets give you examples of the
kind of information we need, the telephone numbers to call and what to say when
you do call.
Please
help us to help your community by spending a little time reading and digesting
the following information then pass the enclosed copies on to your residents.
If everyone is aware of the kind of information we need it will go a long way
to ensuring your community stays how you would like it to.
Please
be assured of our best attention at all times.
S Gibson
Force
Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator
Hampshire
Constabulary
0845
0454545 ext 603290
sue.gibson@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
SUSPICIOUS
PERSONS
If
you see someone acting suspiciously around a house/building/vehicle please try
to ascertain the following information:
1) Male/female - how many 6) Approximate weight/s
2) Approximate age/s 7) Type
of footwear
3) Hair colouring/s 8) Clothing
labels
4) Approximate height/s 9) Distinctive markings
5) What they are wearing 10) Ethnicity
* Please
remember that tackling criminals yourself is not a good idea. Please do not approach criminals or become
involved but maintain observation from a safe distance and note as many details
as possible until the police arrive.
SUSPICIOUS
VEHICLE
If
you see a suspicious vehicle please try to ascertain the following information:
1) Registration number 4) Colour of vehicle
2) Make of vehicle 5) Old/new
3) Model of vehicle 6) Any
other markings
OTHER
INFORMATION
If you overhear a conversation, or if you see something
which doesn’t fall into the categories above but relates to crime or disorder,
this could be concerning local community tensions between groups of people or
individuals then please try to ascertain the following information:
1) What
was said/done 4) Where it was said/done
2) When
it was said/done 5) Why it was said/done
3) Who
said it/did it
CALLING
THE POLICE
Calling
the police for the first time can be quite daunting. Here are a few tips to help you to pass on the information
smoothly.
CALLING 0845 045 45 45 – This number will be answered by the force
switchboard as ‘Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police’. You will then be asked the nature of/reason for your call before
being transferred to an advisor who will take details and advise you of what
action will be taken. This number can also be used to leave a message for your
beat manager.
* Who - Tell
the operator you are a Neighbourhood Watch co-
ordinator and your
name/details
* Why - Tell
the operator the reason for calling
* Where - Tell
the operator where you are calling from
* What - Tell
the operator what happened
* When - Tell the operator when it happened
* Wish - Tell
the operator if you would like your beat manager
to call you when they are next on duty
CALLING 999
– Dial this number in emergencies only
– where a crime
is
in progress or life is in danger.
* What- Tell
the operator which service you require: Police,
Ambulance or Fire Brigade
* Who - Give
the operator your details
* Where - Tell
the operator where you are
* What - Tell
the operator what has happened
* When - Tell the operator when it happened
CALLING 101 (until February 2008) – This is a non-emergency number used to
report vandalism and graffiti, noisy neighbours and loud parties, anti-social
behaviour, abandoned vehicles, fly-tipping and broken street lighting.
* Who - Tell
the operator who you are
* Why - Tell
the operator why you are calling
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
When calling the police on any of the police numbers, one question
you will be asked is why you think that the individuals or vehicles are
suspicious. You may have difficulty explaining this. Please try to prepare for this question before making the call.
You may also be asked your age/date of
birth this is done simply for reference so that if you ring back again etc, we
can link you to your previous calls.
It is not compulsory to give this information, but it is a great
help to us when identifying who we can give information to.