Residents in Gwent are being encouraged to join and set up local Neighbourhood Watch schemes via a new online service, called OWL, during Neighbourhood Watch Week – between June 18 to 24.
During the week various activities are taking place throughout Gwent to promote the Online Watch Link (OWL). The initiative is supported by Neighbourhood Watch and enables local officers, residents and co-ordinators to easily communicate with Neighbourhood Watch schemes and vice versa. The initiative went live across Gwent on May 1.
There are over 900 Neighbourhood Watch schemes set up in Gwent which equates to close to 4000 households. The online system was successfully piloted in Monmouthshire from October of last year.
With OWL, each Watch can manage themselves online with management and communication tools and allows users to choose the best format to receive messagesโ via phone, email, fax and text which can be sent to individual addresses, streets, watches, areas, wards, towns or watch schemes. When residents sign up to OWL they automatically become members of their local Neighbourhood Watch and can choose to sign up as a member or become a co-ordinator for their street. Residents should log on frequently to www.owl.co.uk to gain the most benefit from the initiative.
Other benefits of the system include a โFix my Streetโ application that allows watch members to easily report problems such as broken street lights to local councils, the most recent reports submitted to their council are displayed with a map showing the exact location of the problem. The system compliments and builds on existing crime maps provided by Gwent Police using the latest official crime data to provide a visual comparison of crime across districts putting local data into context. Lists of local contacts that may be required after an incident are also listed on the website.
Superintendent Dave Johnson has been leading the implementation of OWL for the force: โIt really is a fantastic system that will help to make our communication with Neighbourhood Watch members more efficient. OWL offers a range of communication options to suit the needs of individual people reflecting the many ways that we now communicate using modern technology. Neighbourhood Watch has always been a valuable ally in our drive to reduce crime and anti social behaviour and I encourage people to join and help us make their communities even safer.โ
Julie Goodfellow, Chair of the All Wales Neighbourhood Watch Development Group; Chair of Abergavenny and District Partnership Against Crime and member of the Pen y fan Neighbourhood Watch Scheme: โWe worked very closely with local police to address issues to improve the existing Neighbourhood Watch scheme. The main improvement with OWL is efficient, two way communication. OWL gives local residents and businesses the opportunity to communicate with each other and with police: we can find out whatโs going on in our neighbourhoods in an effective and efficient way whenever we like. Already in a few months we have had successes, for example, a stolen quad bike was quickly returned to its owner because of effective communication throughout the community."
