§ Mr. William Sheltonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes are now established in each Metropolitan police district; what information he has on their characteristics in terms of size; and whether they are police or community initated.
§ Mr. HurdA list of the 390 Metropolitan police neighbourhood watch schemes, collated at the end of April, is in the Library of the House. I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that these schemes vary in size. The largest metropolitan scheme, in Fulham, comprises about 3,500 households. Some schemes consist only of a dozen or so households. Most of the present schemes were initiated by the police, but many schemes are now being planned in response to requests from local communities.
§ Mr. William Sheltonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he proposes to make to enable the neighbourhood watch schemes in London to exchange information on their organisation and 648W activities and to form at borough level, or for the whole metropolis, associations of neighbourhood watch schemes.
§ Mr. HurdWe have no plans to make such arrangements nor I understand has the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis at present. Neighbourhood watch schemes are still at an early stage of development and each scheme exists to serve a particular local need. At present, information about schemes is co-ordinated by the police, but in due course direct links between schemes will no doubt be established through local crime prevention panels and police-community consultative groups.
§ Mr. William Sheltonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will include reference to the value of neighbourhood watch schemes in his guidance on community police consultation.
§ Mr. HurdI am grateful for this suggestion. The guidance will certainly suggest that among the matters that could usefully be taken up in local consultation is Me promotion of joint efforts in crime prevention through practical community action. We will consider whether the guidance should contain a specific reference to neighbourhood watch schemes.
§ Mr. William Sheltonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research is being undertaken, or what evaulation is being made, into the success of neighbourhood watch schemes in London, the range of activities undertaken, the form of organisation adopted and the characteristics of the most successful scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the management services department of the Metropolitan police has started work on a research study of schemes now in operation to assess their effectiveness in reducing burglaries and other crimes. The Home Office research and planning unit will be complementing this research by examining in detail the characteristics and organisation of a number of successful schemes, and exploring their impact on criminal investigations, police-public relations and public fears of crime.