What is Home Watch?
Home Watch is a charitable organization that encourages members of the community to work together to reduce crime in our area. Biddenham Home Watch is part of Bedford & District Home Watch Association (a registered charity) which is itself part of the National Neighborhood Watch Association.
Although Biddenham Home Watch is run by a small management team assisted by street co-coordinators, it relies on the community and the police working together to reduce crime.
Why do we need Home Watch?
We live in a society where crime takes place all around us. The police will never be able to contain that crime alone - the community must play its part. Although Biddenham enjoys a relatively low crime rate, we cannot afford to be complacent. In a recent twelve-month period, 47 crimes were reported, including theft, burglaries, arson, vehicle crime and personal violence.
Aims of Home Watch
· to reduce the opportunity for crime to occur
· to reduce the fear of crime
· to promote community safety and foster a better community spirit
· to improve the quality of life
Benefits of Home Watch
· membership of Home Watch is completely free
· reduction of local crime, such as burglary, vandalism, car theft and theft from cars
· neighbors can contribute towards the protection of their property by mutual co-operation
· residents can enjoy a greater sense of security and peace of mind
· a better community spirit is created
· Home Watch schemes lead to a greater shared awareness of the problems in our community, and to a better understanding of the practical steps that can be taken to tackle them
· members of a Home Watch scheme may benefit from reduced household insurance premiums
Like to know more?
If you’d like to find out more about Biddenham Home Watch, or if you’d like to start a Home Watch group in your street, please contact one of the following:
Tony Smith (Area Co-coordinator) Tel.: 355462
Paul Sanderson (Deputy Area Co-coordinator) Tel.: 363130
David Osborne (Treasurer & Consultant) Tel.: 360335
Please explore the other Home Watch pages on this web site – they are packed with useful information about reducing crime and improving safety in our community.
You can also find plenty of up-to-date information about security and local crime problems at the Bedford Home Watch web site: http://www.bedfordhomewatch.co.uk/