Experience is showing that the most effective method of crime prevention is where a group of schemes join together in order to establish a whole community that seeks to prevent crime. The Coordinators work together to share data, encourage participation, develop engagement channels; to liaise as a whole with the police.

However, it is easy to set up a group of any size , even if you are starting on your own.   We advise that you make contact with your Parish or Town council or similar community group to gain their interest and support.   You can then work with their local knowledge to identify persons that are involved in the community and those deemed suitable for Coordinator roles. They can then be approached.   The Group then grows.  In order to kick start development it is good to hold a neighbourhood meeting if you can.

At the head of any such Group/ Village Scheme is an Area Coordinator.   They initially drive the project forward and then keep a watching brief once it is established.

Area Coordinators’ Role
They can act, if necessary, as a Principal Point of Contact for the police and :-

• They take an overall view as to crime, anticipation of and prevention of crime over a wider area, collate local issues and attend Neighbourhood Panel Meetings when possible, promote NHW by way of publicity, Parish Council and police liaison.   They endeavour to raise awareness of crime prevention measures.
• Within their community they seek to recruit new Co-ordinators, encourage and advise existing Co-ordinators, maintain an effective database of Co-ordinator and agency contact details, signpost Co-ordinators and members, when applicable, to appropriate agencies.

This is an interesting and stimulating role and much satisfaction can be gained from seeing a community working together.  It has been proved that this does keep crime down.

Want to know more? Then please do ask your Area Rep or contact the Executive through “Contact Us” on this web-site.