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Neighbourhood Watch (NhW) was first launched in Kent in
1984 and since that date the organisation has gone from strength to
strength. There are now approximately 4,500 schemes countywide
embracing some 300,000 households.
While NhW remains an independent organisation, although a
community project, owned by the community, run by the community for
the benefit of the community, it has raised its professionalism and
structure in such a way that Kent is now seen as a national
leader.
Each policing area in Kent has its own NhW Association, and from
those associations a representative is elected to sit on a county
group, this being Kent County Neighbourhood Watch Association
(KCNWA).
KCNWA is a company limited by guarantee, has obtained charitable
status. Enquiries and contact of KCNWA can be made to
david.alford@kent.pnn.police.uk.
The board of KCNWA meets monthly and its principle aims are to
support area associations, working in partnership with Kent Police,
helping to prevent and detect crime, particularly focusing on those
who seek to target the elderly and vulnerable members of our
communities.
KCNWA also meets regularly with their area Kent Police Watch
Liaison Officers in order to deal with local and county issues. The
purpose is to establish a level playing field of police support
around the county for NhW, the sharing of best practice and the
creation of a clear structured way ahead for the partnership. Kent
has already pioneered a Service Level agreement between KCNWA and
Kent Police. Other forces and their county associations around the
country are using this document to create their own local
agreements.
Since the demise of the National Neighbourhood Watch
Association, Kent's influence and proposals have helped establish a
new national organisation, this by national agreement is called
'Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network (England and Wales)'.
The country has been divided into ten regions. The South East
region comprises of the Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Thames
Valley policing areas. The NhW leads from each area meet under the
title of the South East Regional Forum four times a year. It is
from this forum that a delegate is elected to represent the region
at a national level to work alongside The Home Office and The
Association of Chief Police Officers. For the first time the NhW
movement in England and Wales, in line with Kent's proposals is
democratically elected from its grass roots to the very top.
Police forces have also adopted the same regional groups and
also meet quarterly. The police and NhW forums are invited to
attend each others meetings so as to ensure the openness and
transparency of each others roles and policies for the way
ahead.
The official website for NhW nationally is via the Home
Office. A new
website for KCNWA is currently under construction. Both links
open in a new window.
There are many issues currently being debated within the NhW
movement and KCNWA offer the assurance that at a county, regional
and national level that it will do all it can to ensure NhW remains
focused on its principles, dynamic in the way it represents its
grass roots members and how it negotiates on your behalf with Home
Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers on your
behalf. |