Neighbourhood Watch Ryde (NSW)
Area 5
Sadly this NHW Group is no longer active.
What is Neighbourhood Watch?
Neighbourhood Watch is a community crime prevention scheme, with Police
and community volunteers working together. Neighbourhood Crime
Prevention
programs have existed in the USA, Canada and the UK since the late
1960s.
In Australia, the Neighbourhood Watch scheme began in Victoria in 1983
and
was formally launched in New South Wales in the Sydney suburb of
Campsie
in December, 1984.
Organisation
Police patrols are divided up into Neighbourhood Watch areas. Since
Neighbourhood Watch is entirely voluntary, it is up to the local
community to establish a group by holding a public meeting and electing
a co-ordinator and small committee.
The co-ordinator liaises with local Police, passing on information to
the committee and the area's residents by way of public meetings and
newsletters.
A typical Neighbourhood Watch
Area would have four public meetings a
year and the delivery, by volunteer street co-ordinators, of four
newsletters
a year to each residence in the area.
Newsletters contain information
regarding local police issues,
safety
and crime statistics for the area. The meetings are usually informal,
with
a guest speaker relevant to community interests and a report from the
Beat
Police.
Aims of Neighbourhood Watch
Aims include:
1. Minimising the incidence of preventable crime.
2. Increasing the incidence of reporting crime to the Police.
3. Improving the level of personal and household security.
4. Encouraging people to engrave their property for ease of
identification if stolen.
5. Improving the relationship between local Police and the community.
Ref: Daley, P. The
Neighbourhood Crime Prevention Handbook. 1992
Neighbourhood Watch -
Ryde, NSW, Australia - Area 5
Ryde, the third oldest settlement in New South Wales, is situated 14
kms north west of the city of Sydney on the Parramatta River. From its
origins as a farming community, it is now a large Municipality of
suburban houses, shopping centres and high tech industry, in a leafy
setting.
Area 5 is residential with some
small corner stores. It had an
active
Neighbourhood Watch until December 2005. At this time three of the
stalwarts of the committee left the area and there were no volunteers
to continue.
Other related sites:
NSW Police On-Line
NSW Police Service information.