Mid Sussex Neighbourhood Watch in conjunction with Hassocks Neighbourhood Watch present:
Mid Sussex Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter |
Winter 2008 Issue No. 23 |
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| Current issue: Winter 2009 | Previous: Summer
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Communications
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Communication plays a significant role in the world around us. Sight, smell, hearing and feelings all communicate information to us, but newspapers, radio, TV, the internet, e-mail and the telephone are mostly the sources of the information that we regard as parts of the communication package. Our Sussex police force has for some years used a telephone-based system to provide Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators with crime information, etc, that can be passed on to household members, though latterly the use of e-mail messages has become more frequent. That overall system - called Ringmaster - was rather cumbersome and outdated and was closed down earlier this year. A new electronic system is now being introduced, primarily using e-mail, and in recent months a complete revision of the contact database for NHW coordinators has been prepared. This reveals that in Mid Sussex we now have about 450 road scheme coordinators linking with more than 12,000 households (note that this may be an underestimate due to some incomplete data). You may also be interested to know that overall in Sussex - East and West - police records show that there are some 8,000 coordinators, which is a remarkable number of volunteers who link with the police. |
Once the scheme is initiated there will be a registration procedure introduced to complement the database and in due course this will allow members of the general public to participate in the messaging system. Although the database of registered users will be held at Police HQ it will be structured for use at divisional, district and Neighbourhood Policing Team areas and down to provide contact with local area or street co-ordinators. This will enable crime and other information to be sent out by PCSOs to their specific schemes. It is recognised that not every NHW co-ordinator has access to e-mail at home. The help of neighbours, who do have access, as 'buddies' is encouraged, but it is anticipated that the system will also provide other options for contact to be made. Overall, the new system is aimed at speeding up the delivery of messages as well as ensuring a consistent approach throughout the Sussex Force. The registration process should enable problems of data protection to be overcome and thus enable information about NHW co-ordinators to be available to Area/Main co-ordinators who are scheme leaders. Watch Out will report on further developments about the progress of this new communication system, or your local road co-ordinator or PCSO will be able to advise. |
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Volunteers needed The Mid Sussex Neighbourhood Watch Association is the lead body for Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) in the District. Its objectives are to encourage the community to work together to prevent crime, liaise with and assist the Police in detecting crime, and create efficient methods of circulating details of crime to the public in Mid Sussex. The Association is governed by a General Council and the day to day management is the responsibility of an Executive Committee comprising the Officers that are elected at the Association's AGM. |
They comprise the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer. Following retirements of the Chairperson and the Honorary Secretary volunteers are sought to fill these key posts and to help ensure the continuation of the valuable work that the Association and the 500 or so NHW schemes in Mid Sussex district performs. If you might be interested in either of these lead positions please contact Geoffrey Coe (past Chairman) at e-mail: or telephone 01444 461326 for further details. |
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Crime at Christmas |
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As autumn merges into winter and the daylight hours get shorter the opportunity for criminal activity may arise in changed ways even in the low crime area which we enjoy in Mid Sussex, so be on your guard both around the home environment and when out and about. Every year both we and the police remind people of the importance of ensuring that when you are away from your home, even for a short while, the impression is given that the house is occupied. It is so very easy to walk down a road at, say, 5.00 pm on a December afternoon and see that an absence of light in a house and curtains not drawn may suggest that the occupiers are out for a while. A quick check by ringing the bell and finding no response then encourages an opportunist wrongdoer to investigate further and make a quick entry to steal what can be found at hand in a few minutes. If a house looks occupied the odds are that the potential thief will walk on by to seek a more likely target. It is so simple now with use of timers, etc, and a little common sense and care to do much to safeguard your home and your possessions, so do keep this in mind when you are likely to be out and about. Do not use a timer light in a room that can be easily seen into from the road , otherwise when the light comes on , the room and all its contents are lit up like a shop window. Exterior lights are also a deterrent to opportunist thieves. The police suggest that if you are fitting exterior lights for the first time, you may like to consider photo electric cells, in preference to infra-red. The dusk-till-dawn option will create a constant illuminated space to deter the thief and provide a safe place for your family to arrive home to. When doing your pre-Christmas shopping, indeed at all times, do ensure that purchases and other items left in your car whilst it is parked are hidden from view, preferably in the boot, as it may only be the work of a few moments to make entry to the vehicle and remove presents or other shopping. |
For the ladies, keep an eye on your purse when Christmas shopping and in the the New Year sales. In busy and crowded shops, bags can easily be reached into when being carried behind you on your shoulder. When people are being jostled around, it is easy for thieves to steal purses without you realising it. That includes getting on and off buses or leaving your bag on the shopping trolley whilst you look at something on the shelves. Do take particular care of your credit or debit card when making payments and when using Cash Point machines. Thieves watch people taking money out of cash machines, they know if they can steal a purse, they are on to a winner straight away. Ensure your PIN code cannot be seen by someone near by. If your card is given to someone to make out a slip, etc, - rarely these days - make sure it is your card that is returned. How many of us look at our card and check it when it is returned? Chip and Pin may be much safer now but criminals still find ways of using your details. Don't carry you PIN in your purse or wallet.
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Crime and Disorder Partnership Mid Sussex Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) brings together all the various agencies that work to make Mid Sussex safer by reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. Traditionally, communities regarded crime reduction as the main responsibility of the police. In 1998 the Crime and Disorder Act recognised that the Police on their own cannot reduce crime and disorder alone. The act created CDRPS, which placed a statutory responsibility on local agencies to work together and improve safety in their areas. Crime and disorder reduction means 'reducing the opportunity for a crime or disorder to take place'. We recognise that consideration should not only be given to preventing crimes but also reducing the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour. DID YOU KNOW
Every three years the CDRP is required to publish its Community Safety Plan outlining how they will work to maintain low levels of crime and disorder in the district. |
Aim 1: Working in partnership
Aim Two: Tackle the causes of crime, antisocial behaviour and fear of crime
For information on the Community Safety Plan please contact Nicolette Russell the Community Safety Officer 01444 477550 or visit their website: www.midsussex.gov.uk |
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Crime in Mid Sussex has continued to fall - in
the last year all crime fell by 12%.
The current plan covers 2008-2011
and sets out what the partnership aims to do over the next three years.
This is based on crime statistics and on what local residents told us
matters most to them. Below is a summary of the key priorities.
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Burgess Hill Emergency Services Open Day 4th October Despite the overcast conditions, and the intermittent rain, the attendance at this year's 'Open Day' was high with many families rushing to see the numerous demonstrations being undertaken on the Fire Station's forecourt. Outside the Police Station was a stand manned by representatives of: Mid Sussex Neighbourhood Watch
David Norton met several of the local NHW Area
Coordinators to talk about the new role within Burgess Hill, and other
members of the general public who showed interest in the new structure
of police /n e i g h b o u r h o o d watch. Rachel Munday had several inquiries from potential new members of the Search Team, which has proved to be very successful and supportive to police looking for 'lost' people. Recently, one elderly and very confused resident was found alive by the team after being missing from his home for almost a week. Pat Welch of Sussex Police Authority spoke at length to many visitors over the role of the police and their liaison with the general public, and most views were very supportive and positive that the police were doing a very good job. The three police representatives entertained many questions from the public, and many were shown by Inspector Potter how to identify and contact their local PCSO through the Sussex Police website - by simply inserting their postcode - and finding out what they are saying about policing in their area of responsibility. Nobody walked away disappointed, and those manning the stand felt that they had contributed to an interesting - albeit damp - day. |
Neighbourhood Watch News
Update
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The level of
activity at the stand was restricted by the constant showers, but even
so, a lot of interest was shown in the various topics on display.The
spring issue of Watch Out will be published during March 2009.
Contributions should be sent to
Geoffrey Coe by 15th February 2009, please. Telephone 01444 461326
e-mail: gico@waitrose.com
hassocks
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