What is the role of the main co-ordinator?
The role of a main co-ordinator is one which is extremely rewarding and important for your community, as it means that you are the main contact for the scheme/group for members and partners to connect with and are responsible for cascading information to them.
Neighbourhood Watch is about building and strengthening a community’s resilience to reduce opportunity, build confidence to report and raise awareness of crime. This is done through creating a community network of neighbours, partners (local authority, police, schools) and groups who look out for each other in a positive and welcoming environment.
The role includes:
| Encouragement and promotion of crime reduction and building resilience | Building your network, increasing community well-being and improving your environment | |
| Signposting members how and who to report safety concerns | Get to know your neighbour/members and encourage them to join your scheme/group – bringing them together for a common goal | |
| Conduct an environmental crime survey to identify areas of higher risk and encourage community members to take actions | Able to identify people in your community who are vulnerable or isolated and ensure that information reaches them through their preferred method | |
| Liaise with Safer Neighbourhood / local policing teams about crime trends and cascade this information to their members | Improve environment of community – litter picks, hedge cutting | |
| Participate in Ward / Safer Neighbourhood Panels to support their local police and other agencies to identify local issues and solve problems where there are community concerns | Promote neighbourliness by encouraging members to keep an eye on each other’s homes and possessions, giving special consideration to supporting vulnerable neighbours. | |
| Encourage members to report suspicious activity, antisocial behaviour and incidents to police and local authorities | Ensure that following approval, their scheme is registered through our website www.ourwatch.org.uk and their membership and scheme information is kept up to date. | |
| Promote personal responsibility for community safety by sharing crime reduction information and encouraging members to improve their home, on-line and personal security | Hold community events – such as street parties, picnics, sports day, community safety event etc. |
As a scheme co-ordinator, you may wish to do more and arrange events or other local activities to bring your neighbours together and help tackle local issues of concern to them. How much more you do is dependent upon the time and commitment you are prepared to give.
Connect with your local district and Force Area Associations to receive support – you can find the THNWA verification page here. You can find examples of work by coordinators in their communities on the Ourwatch website.
Tower Hamlets Neighbourhood Watch Association 