§ Mr. Thurnhamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the effectiveness of neighbourhood watch schemes in the north-west.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThere are over 3,700 neighbourhood or home watch schemes in the Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside police force areas, the number having trebled over the past year.
Although many of these schemes have been in existence for too short a time for their contribution towards reducing crime to be properly measured, I understand from the police forces concerned that there are encouraging indications that such schemes can be effective in reducing crime and the fear of crime, in increasing public awareness of the part they can play in preventing crime, in raising the degree of collaboration between police and the community in fostering community attitudes which are hostile to crime and in providing a focus for action for those who wish to work against crime.