Watching out for crime (From Borehamwood Times)

Watching out for crime

11:55am Friday 13th February 2009

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Neighbourhood Watch members have been keeping an eye out for criminals for decades. Suruchi Sharma investigates how community spirit has been kept alive by groups in the area.

A fish and chip social was a regular event at least three times a year for the Neighbourhood Watch in Borehamwood.

It naturally featured the food but also a competitive quiz, a tombola and often a session or two of bingo. At the end of the night the amount raised was around £150 which would go towards victims of crime.

Pauline Poole, from Drayton Road, was part of the first Neighbourhood Watch in Borehamwood created in the late Eighties.

She said: “We would pay for a bunch of flowers for people who had either been mugged or burgled or had been a victim of some sort of crime.

“We went to these people’s homes and chatted to them for a while just so they knew we were there for them. They were very grateful and I still have thank you letters from some residents who said this was often exactly what they needed after the event.”

Ms Poole became involved in the group after Drayton Road residents decided to create a neighbourhood watch group rather than a residents’ association.

Ms Poole added: “Commuters would use the road to park in the mornings and then get the train to work and come back late at night.

“We decided to do something about it and it was suggested to us to create a Neighbourhood Watch group.”

Meetings were held in Furzehill School every month.

Ms Poole said: “The importance of Neighbourhood Watch is the people involved wanted and still want safety in the community. It’s not about being nosy. It’s about protecting your neighbour.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary took over policing in the area from the Metropolitan Police in 2000.

Derrick Sweeney, Hertsmere’s Neighbourhood Watch liaision officer, said there were 300 groups when he first took the position in 2001 and there are now 617.

He said: “Everyone refers to Neighbourhood Watch members as curtain-twitchers or nosy-parkers but the things they do are of vital importance.

“If I could make everyone a curtain-twitcher then I have done my job. The importance of Neighbourhood Watch is felt even more today simply because years ago community spirit existed much more. Neighbourhood Watch is very good at getting the community to talk to each other.

“We have progressed from the early days of the watch but the safety of our community is still at the heart of our priorities.”

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