Starting a watch

The simple steps below will enable you to setup a watch with your neighbours:

1. Decide what area the watch will cover. It can be as big or small as you want within reason but we advise that you limit it to around 30 houses as it is important for the scheme to work properly that you know everyone in the watch and they know you.
2. Speak to your neighbours to see who's interested in being part of the Scheme. If you don't want to approach them directly we have a suggested letter format for this.
3. Arrange a meeting of those interested. Someone from Neighbourhood Watch and the Police will attend to give advice and be available to answer any queries. Barking & Dagenham Neighbourhood Watch will then provide the watch members with watch stickers, a Magazine from London Neighbourhood watch packed with Crime Prevention and other useful information and we will also arrange for road signs to be put up in the Watch area to alert potential wrongdoers that they are being 'watched'!

That's all there is to it!

Once the watch is setup the coordinator needs to send a form into the police each month to report any problems. The forms are provided by the B&D Neighbourhood Watch Association who also hold a quarterly meeting for coordinators throughout the Borough to get together, exchange information with other coordinators and meet with the Police who attend every meeting

Once the watch is up and running you will be the first contact for Police as area Co-ordinator.

The Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association will provide you with all that you need to run the watch. Contact details for Police will be provided. Remember this is your watch so you and your neighbours run it how you want.

For an information pack on setting up a watch, please call 0208 215 3000.