A senior police officer in Cheshire says Home Watch is a major weapon in the fight against crime in the county.
The first Home Watch was launched 30 years ago in the Cheshire village of Mollington when people were concerned about a spate of burglaries.
Cheshire′s Assistant Chief Constable Janette McCormick said: “From the success of that first scheme in an area with a total population of 900, the Home Watch movement spread across Britain. It has had a real impact on preventing crime and catching criminals.
“Thirty years on, we can appreciate the value of Home Watch. It has adapted to a changing world and adopted new technology but, at the core, it is still about people making a constructive effort to protect their local community.”
Nantwich and many surrounding villages have now adopted similar Home Watch (Neighbourhood Watch) .
“You can make a difference and the success of Neighbourhood Watch proves getting together with your neighbours can assist in cutting down local crime,” said Bob.
One covers large areas of Stapeley’s Cronkinson development in Nantwich, coordinated by Bob Llewellyn.
Retired Insp Grahame Andrews helped to set that first scheme up in Mollington.
He said: “We made it clear it did not involve snooping on your neighbours and it was certainly not about creating a vigilante outfit.
“The guidelines set up back then are just as important now; improving the security of your home, security marking property and knowing who to contact if something suspicious is seen.”
“Initially Mollington did not want any window stickers or street signs but later on groups could see the advantage of deterring burglars by advertising schemes locally.”
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