Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch has a strong presence in the Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire Council areas, covered by the NSWPF Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command (PAC).
The Neighbourhood Watch program is one of a range of crime prevention and community safety strategies currently in use within NSW. Since 1984, when the program was first introduced, the NSW Police Force has supported the NHW program in those communities that have demonstrated their ongoing support for it. The program itself is not funded at a community level by the NSW Police Force, or any other government organisation. Instead, Neighbourhood Watch is resourced through fund-raising, sponsorships and grants and has at its core, dedicated volunteers in each local community.
Neighbourhood Watch is a community based, crime prevention organisation that aims to reduce localised crime and fear of crime by promoting and coordinating multifaceted approaches to prevention and problem solving. It is part of the broader Neighbourhood Watch Australasia organisation, of which, the NSW Police Force is a participating Board member.
Each NHW group in the area operates autonomously. In addition, since 2011 volunteers from each of the groups meet quarterly under the banner ‘NHW within Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby council areas’. By helping one another, the NHW groups work together as a team and identify the most effective methods of making our neighbourhoods and our internet usage safer for all. These methods include:
- Provision of support to the local Ku-ring-gai police by regularly assisting the Crime Prevention Officer (CPO) with crime prevention stalls at community events. The primary NHW role is to educate everyone in the community in crime prevention, for all types of crime.
- Offer of advice, support and/or manpower to existing local NHW groups, eWatches and to volunteers wishing to form new NHW groups.
- Through modern technology, we reach most of the community. An ongoing presence on social media – Facebook and Twitter, – the maintenance of this website and production of a weekly eNewsletter ensure a wide distribution of information.