Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch was launched in 1988

Hallmark August 1988. Report by Peter Trotter click Peter & Lilian Trotter for more about Peter

What can you do about crime? Join Neighbourhood Watch, but remember it needs a commitment from you.

Neighbourhood Watch is a collective responsibility assisting the police to prevent crime. It is not, as some people think, a private security group, it does not guard or patrol. It is an awareness to prevent the opportunist thief.

Your commitment should include ensuring doors and windows have good security locks fitted and that all ladders, etc., are locked away. Tell you neighbours when you are away, leave them a key. Mark your valuables (your group can hire the equipment) and keep a list of them in a safe place. Consider fitting an alarm system.

Collective responsibility with your neighbours. What if all the houses in your Street took these precautions - and what if everyone kept a lookout for anything suspicious?? That's the idea behind Neighbourhood Watch. With the whole neighbourhood on its guard, how can a burglar sneak in without being spotted? It is for you all to look, listen and report signs of trouble the moment you see them. Don't wait - act. The more people who do something about crime, the less of it there'll be.

Come on, join your local group now and do something about crime.

To be effective you should display your door sticker showing that you are in Neighbourhood Watch and that your property is post coded. As an additional deterrent, Neighbourhood Watch signs will shortly be erected on all the roads into our two villages.

Hallmark August 1997. Report by Sheryl Burroughs, Area Co-ordinator

Things have been very quiet recently, unless you are the owner of the cars that have been stolen or broken into. Car crime seems to be our main problem area, with Pink Road and Loosley Row having more than their fair share. Please, if you can, garage your vehicles.

Unlocked garages are also being targeted. Garden furniture and tools are the items being taken. Please keep your garages locked.

I would like to keep you updated with the Ringmaster messages. Do you know who has access to the notice boards which are on the corner of Westlands Road, near the Village Hall and in Loosley Row? Could you please phone me and tell me.

Recently we were phoned and asked to keep an eye out for a certain vehicle that had been used in a robbery in Princes Risborough, I would like to be able to keep you informed of these events.

PC Price was available for security marking on Village Day, I hope lots of you took your bikes etc. to see him.

As there is nothing else to tell you, I should suppose that no news is good news.

Hallmark August 1998. Report by Sheryl Burroughs. Warnings have been going out regularly about crime in the area, and it might be aswell to remind everyone that it is too easy to leave doors and windows open in warm weather and perhaps sit in the garden or mow the lawn etc., so that a prowler could gain access easily, and very quickly take handbags or other easily accessible items. This applies to cars, portable garden equipment and ornaments.

So-called "builders" are still conning old people out of their savings by telling them they have builing work which needs to be done, demanding a deposit, and then either disappearing or pretending to do work. Police ask that everyone, particurly the elderly, is warned not to let strangers into their homes, not to part with money, and to telephone the police if they have difficulty getting rid of such callers.

Editors note. Since this article was received, we had a plague of car break-ins in the village; these take place when out 'Neighbourhod Watchers' are tucked up in bed, which leads us to the thought that some active recruitment or awareness raising might not com amiss among our younger population, who are more likely to be up and about in the small hours. After all, it could well be their car which gets hit.