UPDATE            Resident

 Peterborough Neighborhood Watch Association                                             NEWSLETTER                    please share

As the Christmas break concludes, it is now time to focus on the new year and consider those who live near us and may be alone during this time year. With the cold winter days and nights, how are they coping?. If you can reach out to neighbours who maybe would appreciate some to support  and help them feel part of the neighborhood and your Watch network, I am sure it would be welcomed.           

 2024 has been a busy year for the Neighbourhood Watch network across Peterborough and surrounding villages. We are pleased to welcome our new members, 25 new Watch schemes that have been registered with an estimated 600 household members.

Also the Safer Streets 5 project Operation Mark- It continues to roll out across the target area of 10 streets located just north of the City Centre and south of Central Park. 

                               This new sign is to be displayed across the Safer Streets 5 area of the City aimed at warning would be thieves.

Eight hundred homes are receiving a free security marking kit and advice on how to register their valuable property on national property website IMMOBILISE.Com.  Additional Neighbour Watch membership is also invited. 

We have 27 local students from Peterborough College volunteering to assist us. They are actively distributing these Op Mark It kits door to door. Early in the year, the distribution by the students will be completed. It is hoped that many residents take up the security marking initiative and start marking all their Christmas presents and high-value items. Over the first of 2025, random monitoring visits in the area will be conducted by members of the Associations Action Group to support and guide households.

Our website nwpeterborough.co.uk is currently out of action and is going through a rebuild process, we hope to be up and running into the New Year.  If you have any suggestions as to what should be included on the new website do let us know.

Currently we are looking at providing online guides for the following-

Current problem-solving activities: We are assisting five coordinator members in various locations across Peterborough with handling local  issues affecting their members. Three cases suspected drug dealing and anti-social, another involves nuisance electric scooters causing danger, and the fifth relates to people causing ASB and alarm to residents in an underpass. We liaise with our neighbourhood police and city council's problem-solving officers where and when appropriate. Do you have an issue that doesn't go away? Do you need help and advice how to deal with local problems? Please let the team know.

After the recent bad weather, the heavy rain and strong winds, it would be a good time to please check the safety and security of your neighbourhood watch street signs.

Sign fixing straps have a limited lifespan, as plastic material deteriorates over time and begin to break. We are investigating alternatives and more sustainable fixing arrangements. Please check your signs for safety and security. Replacement signs are available. Do not forget, street signs are effective in deterring offenders, they have been attacked and stolen. Neighbourhood street offenders do not like the thought of a neighborhood approach and the risk of being seen and detected. Clearly, without displaying signs and stickers, neighborhood watch can become invisible. Always but always report your suspicions and concerns at  the time,if you can.

Please contact your team/area coordinator to supply new fixing straps and/or replacement signs.  

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Keeping your home safe.

With the many months of cold, dark and dull days, this winter has been so devoid of sunshine. When leaving your home for the day do consider leaving signs that your home is occupied if you can. Fairly new to the market are digital 24 hour timers, they can switch lights on and off.  This type that can be controlled anywhere by an app on your phone. The Association is happy to supply these for you, there's a cost of around £7 each. If you would like one please make an order to the team, once we have a good interest we can order a realistic quantity of digital 24 hour timers.

The next Coordinators Action Group Meeting- is due to be held towards the end of January- it will be for the Central and Eastern area of the City. Please come along if based in those areas. Further details to follow.

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Do please help and get more people signed up to Neighourhood Watch, it does work, it does make a difference and improve neighbourhood safety by neighbours communicating and share information and concerns. Who will be the first to recruit the first street coordinator in 2025? 

All they have to do to join the Peterborough Association is register themselves on the national database ourwatch.org.uk/join, they can join an existing scheme if there is one nearby or set up their own group. For further help and guidance contact your area coordinator or the Action Group Team.  info@nwpeterborough.co.uk.

Well  that's all for now, stay warm, stay safe and keep talking to each other.

We are Safer Together                         Neighbourhood Watch IN !

                                                             Neighbourhood Crime OUT !

Happy New Year

Alan Paul

Action Group

Peterborough Neighbourhood Watch Association