Join Neighbourhood Watch to make a positive difference to your community

Neighbourhood Watch is a partnership where people come together to make their communities safer and make their neighbourhoods better places to live. It aims to help people protect themselves and their properties and to reduce the fear of crime by means of improved home security, greater vigilance, accurate reporting of suspicious incidents to the police and by fostering a community spirit.

Merseyside Police have a long-standing partnership with local Neighbourhood Watch Schemes with almost 2000 schemes across the region. We recognise that these schemes play a vital role in detecting and preventing crime, increasing community safety and enhancing communication between the police and the communities of Merseyside.

Merseyside Police supports the Neighbourhood movement, actively engaging with scheme leaders and committees. Each scheme has a nominated police point of contact within their neighbourhood, who has responsibility for engaging with scheme leaders, sharing information and crime prevention advice. We also support those wishing to set up new schemes, providing regular, structured help and guidance to help them become established and provide a specific corporate point of contact for advice and support.

Merseyside's Neighbourhood Watch has 4 main objectives:

• Cut crime and the opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour by improving security, increasing vigilance and increasing crime prevention awareness

• To help detect crime by promoting prompt reporting of suspicious and criminal activity and encourage effective communication.

• Provide reassurance to local residents and reduce the fear of crimeand anti-social behaviour by empowering and encouraging communities to take ownership of local issues

• Encourage neighbourliness and closer communities by helping to establish Community Spirit and improve police/community liaison