Welcome
to the first Lambeth Neighbourhood Watch
Newsletter. My name is Karina Stephenson and I
have recently been appointed as the Neighbourhood
Watch Co-ordinator for Lambeth.
I
believe that Neighbourhood Watch schemes that are
well organised, supported, and motivated
contribute significantly to the reduction of crime
and the fear of crime within local communities.
My
role is to develop new Neighbourhood Watch schemes
across the borough and to ensure those already in
existence are supported through providing accurate
and up-to-date information about crime trends and
patterns. Good communication and closer working
relationships between the community, police, and
local authority are key to achieving the
Metropolitan Police’s goal of
‘Making London the safest major capital city in
the world’.
My
newsletter will be published quarterly and will
include seasonal crime prevention advice, details
of new initiatives and crime fighting schemes
operating in the borough, and dates of forthcoming
crime prevention and community safety events. In
addition, the Lambeth Neighbourhood Watch website
is currently under construction and is scheduled
to ‘launch’ in January. This will provide another
excellent opportunity to publicise good news
stories and to share ‘best practice’ between
Watches.
Through close liaison with local Ward officers,
the Safer Estates Task Force and the Safer
Neighbourhood Teams, I aim to establish
Neighbourhood Watches in high crime areas of the
borough. I will also strive to involve all
sections of the community.
For
existing Neighbourhood Watches, my role is to
offer advice and support, to attend meetings when
practicable, and to provide street signs,
publicity material etc. when needed.
I
look forward to working with you in the near
future.
Reduce
the chance of
CHRISTMAS
Crime
With the Christmas holiday season almost upon us,
now is a good time to remind people to take steps
to
make sure criminals do not spoil your Christmas.
So what can you do?
At
Home
Out Shopping
j
Mobile Police Station
Lambeth’s new mobile police station was delivered
this month. The state of the art vehicle
represents a £110,000 investment from the borough
to help with the fight against crime and to
further improve public, community and partnership
work across Lambeth.
The vehicle has been fully equipped with the
latest technology to support the community and
fight crime and is fully DDA (Disability
Discrimination Act) compliant with full wheel
chair access and Hearing Induction Loops.
The unit has two fully remote controlled CCTV
cameras positioned front and rear with full
recording facilities and picture in picture
technology.
Vulnerable, ill
and elderly people in the borough can benefit
from a new scheme that will help the emergency
services to give them better-targeted medical
help and practical support in an emergency -
all through their fridge.
The scheme was launched on 13th
October at the Town Hall, part of the
Celebrating Age Month.
Participants complete a form with information
including illnesses, their next of kin, if
they are being treated at a hospital, and
other important details.
This
is then put in a capsule - the ‘bottle’ –, which
is put in the fridge, chosen as an
easy-to-find storage place.
Emergency services can immediately see from
branded stickers, placed within the entrance to
the home and near the telephone, that they can
find information in the fridge to help with
treatment. It is estimated that over 33,000
Lambeth residents will benefit from this scheme.
Message in the Bottle packs are being distributed
through Council
Libraries,
Age Concern, social workers,
nurses, day centres, selected GP surgeries and
pharmacies.
For information or to request a pack call 020 7733
0528 or 020 7926 1000.
Victim Support
For a long time now, Joanna Wood the Victim
Support Borough Manager has wanted to have contact
with all Neighbourhood Watch Schemes within the
London Borough of Lambeth. Joanna believes that we
should be working together more to improve the
lives of both victims and witnesses of crime.
Victim Support offers a service, which is
initially crisis intervention; they see people
just after a crime, to listen to their story, and
to explain some of the practicalities involved.
Secondly long term, Victim Support can offer help
with claims for compensation, if applicable,
housing needs and counselling should that be
required.
Victim Support are firm believers in crime
prevention, and will always do its best to prevent
secondary victimisation. Following any burglary
they discuss with the person concerned their
security, and can offer further locks and bolts if
the individual fits the criteria.
Joanna Wood can arrange for one of her Volunteers
to attend your Watch meeting and explain how
Victim Support work and how we all can take
partnership forward.
Joanna Wood: first Floor Lincoln House, 1 - 3
Brixton
Road, SW9 6DE. 020 7820 0007/8
email
Joanna@vslambeth.org.uk
Volunteers in Policing Programme
The Metropolitan Police introduced its Volunteers
in Policing Programme in 2001. Its primary aim was
to give local communities the opportunity to
become more involved in policing thereby improving
the service we offer.
There are a variety of roles available depending
on the needs of the police and members of the
community. Examples include staffing front
offices, working within the Human Resources
Department, the Criminal Investigation Department,
and/or the Criminal Justice Unit.
Of course, through giving up your time to
volunteer with the MPS you will be benefiting your
local police and your community too. You could
benefit personally through simply enjoying the
challenge and enjoying the work, through gaining
work experience or through simply gaining an
insight into how your local police work.
Lambeth Police are looking for people with the
time to give and the enthusiasm to make a
difference. You do not necessarily need to have
any particular skills - although specialists are
always welcome - just the right attitude and
community values. You could come to us during a
career break, in the evening, at the weekend,
early in the morning - with policing being a 24
hour challenge, there is the potential for there
to be voluntary opportunities to match a wide
range of circumstances.
If you have a few hours to devote to helping your
community each week, the Met Volunteers Programme
may be just the opportunity for you
Out-of-hours emergency
involving council property or services, call 020
7926 1000. If you are a Lambeth tenant, telephone
020 7926 6000.
For
Environment issues, such as refuse
collection, parking, transport, recycling and
building control contact the Environment call
centre on 020 7926 9000 (8am-6pm), or email
streetcarecallcentre@lambeth.gov.uk.
Environmental Health Noise control Team office
hours: 0207 926 6153 out of house 0207
926 5999
For general service enquiries contact us on:Phone:
020 7926 1000 (between 9am and 8pm)
Email:
infoservice@lambeth.gov.uk
If you have a subject you feel may help the
community please feel free to contact me and I
will try to include them in future issues
If you require any further information on any
features in the newsletters or you have any issues
relating to Neighbourhood Watch, please e-mail me
on the address below.
Many
thanks for your time and commitment to
Neighbourhood watch, and I hope to meet with you
in the near future.
