The third Annual Conference held in the Council House, Old Market Square on Saturday April 25, jointly organized by the City of Nottingham Neighbourhood Watch Council (CNNWC) and the City’s Crime & Drugs Partnership, was attended by almost 200 participants. In addition to Neighbourhood Watch members from the City and County, many members of Nottinghamshire Police and other organizations relevant to the activities of Neighbourhood Watch were in attendance.

 

After a welcome speech from the Lord Mayor, Councillor Ayub Khan which can be read in full here, the meeting got off to a rousing start with a presentation by Vernon Coaker MP, Government Minister for Policing, Security and Crime, despite strong competition from a Police Pipe Band celebrating St George's Day in the Market Square. Click here to download Vernon Coaker's speech (Word doc).

 

 

Vernon's speech was followed by a lively questions and answers session, in which members of Neighbourhood Watch raised important issues, such as how do we to tackle repeat offenders and are our prisons too comfortable?

 

A debate on Community Engagement and Empowerment followed, during which the Chair of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association, Marion Lewis, announced that the Government has made some money available for Neighbourhood Watch Schemes and Associations.  Unfortunately, the meeting did not reach a general agreement on the definition of Engagement and Empowerment.

 

Barry James, the first speaker in the afternoon session, gave the audience a stark illustrative account of his experience as an Environmental Health Officer, which, in retrospect, was not too well-timed after a large lunch.

 

The following two contributions on drug abuse were of particular importance to Neighbourhood Watch members because of its huge social implications.

 

The formal presentations came to end with a speech from Julia Hodson, the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire, (download here) in which she emphasized the importance of, and her strong support for, Neighbourhood Watch in the City and County.

 

In addition to listening to the formal presentations, participants had opportunities to visit stalls manned by members of many agencies in the City and County that are partners of the CNNWC, and also to meet with the speakers and, most importantly, with other members of Neighbourhood Watch from many parts of the City and County.

 

There is no doubt that participants gained much from the meeting and were encouraged by comments of support for Neighbourhood Watch from Vernon Coaker and Julia Hodson. Nevertheless, Peter Usherwood, the Chair of the CNNWC expressed concern that there was little mention of the need to ensure the sustainability of Neighbourhood Watch Schemes and that many Schemes are undervalued and underemployed. He suggested that, as a general practice, there should be routine, fortnightly or monthly contacts between individual Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators and the Police. This would not only help to sustain morale amongst key Neighbourhood Watch volunteers, but also provide the Police with opportunities to receive and to hand on intelligence on crime and anti-social behavior. He also expressed the CNNWC’s disappointment and frustration that Neighbourhood Alert is slow in being employed across the City, especially in view of its clear success in The Park.