The Lincolnshire Neighbourhood Watch Association has been in place for over 30 years, and was set up as a method of developing close liaison between households in Lincolnshire, the local police and the local authority.
The aim of Neighbourhood Watch is to help people protect themselves and their properties, to reduce the fear of crime and improve their local environment.
Over 65,000 households are protected by the Neighbourhood Watch scheme across Lincolnshire.
Brian Masters, who lives in Branston and is the Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for his street, said: “I regularly communicate with the police and local authority to prevent crime. My role is to help and tackle crime and keep an eye on what is happening.
“The Neighbourhood Watch scheme has helped to make our street safer, when people see the signs for the patrol they immediately feel protected.”
However the scheme is not as successful across all areas of the county. Rowan Johnson, who lives in Skellingthorpe on a street patrolled by Neighbourhood Watch said: “While our street is ‘patrolled’ by Neighbourhood Watch, I’ve never seen any action be taken by them.
“There are signs to make people aware that Neighbourhood Watch is in place, I don’t believe that the scheme has ever been active in my street.”
Since the Neighbourhood Watch scheme was introduced across the country 33 years ago, the crime reduction rate has increased by 79%.
With crime rates across the UK and in Lincolnshire on the rise, more people will be relying on schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch to keep them safe. If you want to get involved in the scheme or check if your area is protected then click here:
