Neighbourhood Watch

• to help people protect themselves and their properties
• to reduce the fear of crime by means of improved home security, greater vigilance, accurate reporting of suspicious incidents and by fostering a community spirit.

There are over 8,700 neighbourhood watch schemes across the Thames Valley. Each scheme has a co-ordinator, who is in contact with their regional administrator. They act as a link between the community, the police and other agencies. Schemes can include two or three neighbours in a village or entire housing estates in large towns.

How do I set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme?

Your first step is to contact the regional administrator for your area. They will check if there is a scheme already running in your area and if not, they will give you more information about NHW and how to start a scheme.

How to put a Neighbourhood Watch sign up in your area

To put up a sign you need to be an 'approved' Neighbourhood Watch scheme (or Homewatch, Crimewatch, Farmwatch or Industrial Watch scheme) set up jointly with the Police. You can find out more details about this on our Neighbourhood Watch sign page.