Neighbourhood Watch

Read the latest NHW Buderim Central Newsletter (you need Adobe Acrobat installed)
Read the latest NHW Buderim East Newsletter (you need Adobe Acrobat installed)

Send email to buderimcentral-nhw@hotmail.com

What is Neighbourhood Watch?

Neighbourhood Watch is a program organised by the community and supported by the Queensland Police Service to reduce residential crime.

Householders are encouraged to join together in small informal groups for the purpose of improving the safety of their families and other neighbourhood residents.

It is not a police scheme. Police only lend their expertise to enable residents to organise themselves for the purpose of minimising crime.

Neighbourhood Watch will only work if YOU, the community, support the scheme.

Neighbourhood Watch Objectives

Members of a Neighbourhood Watch program area, seek to reduce the number of preventable offences by:
- improving personal safety and household/building security
- reporting suspicious activity within their area
- ensuring their property is appropriately marked for identification
- marketing the program to residents and business people within the area

How does a neighbourhood watch area work?

A Neighbourhood Watch Area ideally is made up of homes which can be defined by natural boundaries e.g creek, hill or major road.

Depending on local circumstances this area is then broken down into Zones of about 125 homes and each is further broken down into blocks containing about 8-12 homes

How can Neighbourhood Watch help you?

By being a participant in the program, you can help establish neighbourly co-operation and the development of a sense of community.
There are benefits to be derived by working together, these include:
- Iimproved personal safety and household security.
- Reduce the number of preventable crimes.
- Provide support for victims of crime.

What do householders have to do to participate?

Participation is easy. Householders are asked to do is the following:

• Take some simple steps to improve your household security.
• Ensure you secure all property, and watch out for neighbour’s property. Take care of your neighbourhood.
• Exchange information with your neighbours and police on suspicious activity.
• Observe and report. Know how to observe incidents that occur in the neighbourhood and who to contact to report these incidents.
• Assist and offer support to householders and victims of crime in your area.
• Exchange names and phone numbers with the housholders in your street (or those homes in easy view) using the telephone tree card.
• Keep an eye on public facitilies such as telephones, park equipment, bus shelters,etc. and report any vandalism.
• Distribute the Nieghbourhood Watch Newsletter and pass on information to other residents about Neighbourhood Watch activities.
• Occasionally get together to discuss matter of local community interest. Also discuss ways in which you and your Neighbourhood Watch can reduce local crime rates.
• Mark/engrave or photograph property.
• Attach Neighbourhood Watch plaques to your letter box.