§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes there are in north Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenI understand that there are currently 1,135 neighbourhood watch schemes in the north Wales608W police area covering approximately 22,500 households, almost double the number a year ago. We are encouraged by the involvement of the community in crime prevention indicated by the increase in the number of schemes during the last 12 months.
§ Mr. MealeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take in the light of the recommendations in the report by Dr. Trevor Bennett relating to difficulties with neighbourhood watch schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThe research carried out by the Cambridge Institute of Criminology provided some useful lessons on the design and implementation of schemes which have been studied by the Metropolitan police and the Home Office. The Metropolitan police is revising its policy guidelines on the operation of neighbourhood watch in the Metropolitan police district. The Home Office is producing a good practice guidance note for the police and members of the public taking account of Dr. Bennett's research and of the experience of other police forces and communities throughout England and Wales.
§ Mr. MealeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes operate according to his Department's guidelines and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenNeighbourhood watch is essentially a locally based voluntary activity and it is for individual local communities and the police to develop schemes tailored to meet particular local needs and requirements. The guidelines on implementation issued by the Home Office in 1984 simply set out the basic broad concept of neighbourhood watch in order to assist this process. Information on how individual schemes operate is not held centrally.