Why a bit of community spirit could help to protect your home

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by: bythesea
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Word Count: 409
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 Time: 4:29 PM
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There's only so much that the police can do to prevent crime in the area you live in, so if it's possible to get involved in a Neighbourhood Watch scheme then you could go a long way to helping your community feel safer.

The voluntary nature of Neighbourhood Watch means that people are giving up their spare time to come up with ways in which to stop incidents of burglary, car theft and general vandalism or anti-social behaviour. It helps to foster a genuine community spirit, so as well as helping to reduce crime in the area, it's a great way to get to know some of your neighbours better - especially if you've just moved into your home.

The added bonus of getting involved is that you'll likely get more out of the scheme than what you put in. Those well versed in Neighbourhood Watch will be able to give you a whole host of tips for making your home more secure and keeping your valuables safe. And, of course, you'll be able to go off on holiday in the future safe in the knowledge that people are looking out for you while you're away.

If you're interested in finding out if you can get involved with a local scheme, take a trip to your local police station and have a chat with the crime prevention co-ordinator. They'll be able to tell you who to get in touch with to offer your services. If there is no local scheme, then why not have a go at setting one up yourself? Again, the crime prevention co-ordinator should be able to give you some useful information on how to get started; you'll also want to get in touch with the National Neighbourhood Watch Association for advice and an information pack.

If you do find yourself in charge of the local scheme then be sure to give the people you invite plenty of notice for upcoming meetings, and make sure you involve a local crime prevention officer. Use your initial meetings to find out what local residents are most concerned about and brainstorm ways in which you can effectively battle such problems as a group.

With all the will in the world, your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme will be unable to stop every single incidence of vandalism or theft in the area, so it's important that you also take out adequate home insurance so that you're further protected from such crimes.

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