Police hail neighbourhood heroes

POLICE are celebrating Neighbourhood Watch Week and are urging more people to become the eyes and ears of their area.

Officers said the groups were local street superheroes, helping to fight crime and boost community spirit.

In South Yorkshire ,there are 191 groups who preserve old fashioned values of keeping a look out for their neighbour.

This week, the scheme is being celebrated across the country after first being set up in Britain in the early 1980s.

Neighbourhood Watch groups have now grown to become one of the nation’s largest voluntary movements, covering around 3.8 million households.

John Hallows, who leads the Neighbourhood Watch in South Yorkshire group, said: “Research shows that the areas where groups operate become more tight-knit and experience a fall in crime.

“People also usually see a fall in the cost of their home insurance and it becomes easier to sell their home when there’s a group in the area.”

Mr Hallows urged more groups to set up across South Yorkshire.

“It’s like having an extra lock or alarm on your house to put criminals off and the more members we have, the better it is,” he added.

Chief Supt Jason Harwin, of South Yorkshire Police, is leading on Neighbourhood Watch Week in Rotherham.

He said: “The schemes are about local communities working with the police to make their area safe and feel safe.

“It is about people looking out for each other, crossing barriers of age, race and class to create real communities that benefit everyone.

“This can range from home security improvements to youth workshops or making the neighbourhood look cleaner and brighter.”

South Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner, Shaun Wright, said: “The aim of Neighbourhood Watch is to bring residents together to create strong, friendly, active communities where crime and antisocial behaviour are less likely to happen.

“We want a caring society that is focused on trust and respect in which people are safe from crime and enjoy a good quality of life.

“Our local Neighbourhood Watch groups are invaluable in helping to achieve this.”

To set up a Neighbourhood Watch group contact local police and ask for the NHW district association.