Neighbourhood Watch started in 1982 and there are now over 150,000 schemes nationwide, of which are about 500 in the Royal Borough area. A Neighbourhood Watch scheme is a group of neighbours who work in partnership with each other and with the police to reduce crime and the fear of crime in their area. The scheme is run by a Co-ordinator and one or more Deputies who receive messages from the Police via the computerised Ringmaster telephone system which they pass on to their members. The messages may be about suspicious people/vehicles to look out for, crimes committed locally or give advice on crime prevention. Members will look out for anything suspicious going on in their area and will bring this to the attention of the police.

Regular quarterly newsletters are also produced with helpful hints on home security, ways of reducing crime and up-to-date information on crime trends locally. Neighbourhood Watch schemes are known to reduce crime by up to 25% compared with similar roads without Neighbourhood Watch. This is why most insurance companies give a discount on home insurance to members of Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

For further information contact:

Jeffrey Pick, Neighbourhood Watch Administrator, Bridge Road, Maidenhead SL6 8LP

Telephone: 01628 645628 
e-mail:  jeffrey.pick@thamesvalley.police.uk