Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been a reduction in residential burglary in areas where the number of neighbourhood watch schemes has increased.
§ Mr. John PattenResidential burglary offences recorded by police in England and Wales in 1987 were 4.5 per cent. down on those for 1986. It is interesting to note that this welcome decrease in the numbers of burglaries has taken place as the number of neighbourhood watch schemes has increased. Examples include:
North West Schemes Residential Burglary Percentage Change October 1986 October 1987 West Midlands 500 3,130 Down 14.1 Cumbria 431 661 Down 13.1 Bedfordshire 523 825 Down 12.7 West Mercia 142 1,216 Down 11.4 Wiltshire 2 256 Down 11.0 Greater Manchester 800 5,000 Down 10.6 Durham 48 126 Down 10.1 Warwickshire 243 550 Down 9.8 Merseyside 1,597 3,574 Down 8.8 Dyfed-Powys 1 108 Down 8.8 Sussex 350 3,000 Down 7.7 Metropolitan Police 5,625 7,500 Down 4.9
§ Mr. WheelerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the results of the evaluation of 257W two neighourhood watch schemes in London, carried out by Dr. Trevor Bennett, have affected the development of neighbourhood watch, and what further research he has commissioned.
§ Mr. John PattenDr. Bennett's research, together with the results of studies from other areas, confirmed our view that the effectiveness of a neighbourhood watch scheme depends greatly on the quality of its organisation, and the degree of commitment which it is able to obtain from local people. A well-run scheme can contribute to a reduction in crime rates and the fear of crime, and can help greatly to improve relations between the police and the general public. But it is not a panacea.
In the 12 months since the results of Dr. Bennett's evaluation were made public we have been active in stimulating further research and ensuring that what we learn is fed back to those who can make most use of it.
We funded Dr. S. Hussain, of the University of Southampton, to carry out a questionnaire survey of neighbourhood watch co-ordinators covering nine provincial police force areas. A report on this work was published on 30 March 1988 as Home Office "Crime Prevention Unit Paper 12," copies of which are available in the Library. This report described the way in which neighbourhood watch schemes were established, the areas in which they were located, how they operated and the extent of police involvement. Although it did not consider the effect of neighbourhood watch on crime rates, it did provide some evidence of a positive effect on police-public relations.
In line with our view that schemes need to be tailored to local circumstances, we have funded a study in Rochdale on an estate of approximately 2,000 dwellings. This initiative involved the establishment of watch schemes centred on the victims of crime and the results show a 60 per cent. reduction in domestic burglary. A report is being prepared for publication in early summer. The initiative is continuing with the support of the Home Office and the local police and probation services.
The Home Office is also involved in an initiative on a high crime estate in Lambeth. This project, which is being developed in collaboration with the local victim support group, will encourage neighbourhood watch type activities, as appropriate, throughout the estate. Results will be evaluated in terms of crime reduction. A crime and crime prevention survey has been completed on the estate and a report of this survey will be available by autumn 1988. A report on the full impact of any crime prevention measures taken is unlikely to be available before early 1990.
The 1988 British crime survey, funded by the Home Office, includes a number of questions on neighbourhood watch. This survey will give information on how many people have heard of neighbourhood watch and how many people have schemes in their immediate area. It will also provide information on why some householders have not joined schemes in their area, what scheme members actually do, what advantages and disadvantages there are, how schemes operate and how many are still active.
§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes there are in Ealing, and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. John PattenI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that there are 100 neighbourhood watch schemes in Ealing involving some 47,000 dwellings, which represents 74 per cent. of households. Some 60 per cent. of the total crime in the Ealing division occurs in the areas not covered by neighbourhood watch.
§ Mr. KnowlesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the increase in the numbers of neighbourhood watch schemes and recent research results; and what assessment he has made of the prospects for developing neighbourhood watch in the next two to three years.
§ Mr. John PattenThe growth in neighbourhood watch is heartening since each scheme reflects the willingness of the public to work with the police to tackle crime. It must be remembered. however, that neighbourhood watch is comparatively new to this country and there are still lessons to learn. Research and innovatory police schemes are to be welcomed therefore particularly where they help identify which factors make for the success or lack of success of individual schemes. The next step is for practitioners developing neighbourhood watch to keep abreast of good practice and ensure that the schemes for which they are responsible are finely tuned to meet local needs and suit local circumstances. We hope to publish a guidance note on best practice later this year.
§ Mr. Goodson-WickesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the operation of neighbourhood watch in the Wimbledon area has been reviewed in the light of the evaluation by Dr. Trevor Bennett, made public in May 1987; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenA review of neighbourhood watch schemes in the Wimbledon area was carried out by the Metropolitan police in November 1987. This revealed that 85 per cent. of the schemes were working well. As police crime figures in the Wimbledon district do not relate directly to the areas of individual neighbourhood watch schemes, the indicator used for the review was the level of active communication between the scheme co-ordinators and the police.
§ Mr. Goodson-WickesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes there are in the Wimbledon area; and whether the number of residential burglaries has increased or decreased since they were introduced.
§ Mr. John PattenThere are now 131 neighbourhood watch schemes in the Wimbledon division, covering some 43,832 households. Figures for the division as a whole show that burglaries have dropped by 18.6 per cent. since the introduction of neighbourhood watch. This welcome reduction has taken place during a time when increased police-community interaction, encouraged by the existence of neighbourhood watch, has fostered a greater willingness on the part of the public to report crimes to the police.