Colchester District Neighbourhood Watch Report to Essex Neighbourhood Watch Association March 2022

We have four recruitment projects on the go.

  • Riverside – Well underway. Fully leafleted (450) with 132 of these signing on as members. That’s 30%.

  • Rosebery and Smythies – Concerns about the List of Members which may have been obtained from the nearby Residents Association. Likely outcome in the region of 70 members. Not happy with the coordinator!

  • Might end up merging these schemes since they are adjacent and both CO1 2 post codes. Coordinator of Riverside may be willing to take on both.

  • Berechurch Ward – Basically a relaunch of five smaller schemes. Lists of members include handwritten notes, email addresses only and another that is just names. Thus, we find that none of these so called schemes have pursued Colchester’s best practice guidelines for how things must be done. Have a coordinator for this merged scheme who has all the right attributes for success.

  • Greenstead – Police and Council out on the streets signing up new members of NhW. Have four or five candidates for being coordinators – put forward by Police and Council – but only one seems keen to do the job.

Grahame booked to deliver a presentation to the Salvation Army about NhW in Colchester and Guidelines for staying safe on-line and the avoidance of Scams.

Hoping that the move from HSBC to the Co-operative Bank will soon be completed. Have been offered very large meeting facilities above the main banking hall. The manager has asked me (Grahame) to arrange a presentation to Co-op business customers about Scams and Frauds. Will work with Police HQ Chelmsford to deliver this.

Our usual concerns in Colchester are:

  • Succession planning

  • The same processes used by all Coordinators

  • The waning of interest of some coordinators. Since December 2019 we have lost in the region of 500 members.

Spin off activities adding to the interest and motivation of our Membership Secretary include a Ride Along with two officers on evening shift and a meeting with the Probation Service.

Twitter continues to be part of the service and we focus on Missing Persons, Crime Alerts / Hot Spots, Recruitment and support for partnering agencies.

Grahame Stehle and Peter Rudlin.