Flintshire Neighbourhood Watch Association is an established charitable organization contributing to reducing crime and disorder in Flintshire. Current membership has developed to over 28,000 households supported by over 1,550 voluntary watch scheme co-ordinators. We have been successful in receiving a grant from the National Assembly for Wales from their Community Facilities and Activities Programme for the delivery of a new project until 31 March 2008.

Flintshire Active Communities Team (FACT)

The aims of the project are to build a safe, secure environment that embraces diversity, race & faith, spans generations and supports vulnerable people neighbourhoods. It is responsive to concerns of people to enable them to be safe and feel safe, secure and respected. This will all happen through our newly developing Flintshire Active Communities Team (FACT). This will consist of four new staff posts developing more voluntary opportunities building safer stronger and confident neighbourhoods.

By
Long serving & much valued trustees Des Brown reflects on our beginnings

“Our history is important and we hope you will share your memories with us so that we can use these in our Good Neighbour Newsletter and website”

Des Brown reflects on how he became involved

Flintshire Neighbourhood Watch was formed in 1987 during 1995 I was recruited at that time by Chief Inspector Goronwy Hughes (now retired) and supported by the then Crime Prevention Officer, Linda O`Hare.

The police at that time who were the chief supporters of Neighbourhood Watch, were based in Mold, Holywell Buckley and Wrexham which was then known as `C` Division and substantial support was given by Superintendent Ken Norton,  Detective Chief Inspector Don Cronin, Sergeant Ray Smith, all of whom are now retired.  P.C Colin Midgely was then appointed Crime Prevention Officer which was the policy in the days before the onset of Community Beat Manager’s.

In the early days the Evening Leader produced Stickers to be placed in windows and some of these can still be seen today.  The newspaper was, and still is, a great supporter of Neighbourhood Watch.  During this early period it was known that if you were a member then your House Insurance would be reduced by Norwich Union and this is still the case.  Police support has, of course, been of enormous assistance and has grown with the Association itself.

The introduction of “Community Beat Managers” has become an integral part of the important link between the community and police in Flintshire.    Previously if people had a problem and reported it to the Police an Officer would attend and move the problem on.  The problem itself would recur and the whole procedure had to be repeated.  The Community Beat Managers now have a different approach and are looking at ways to tackle the overall problem which created the incident rather than just the incident itself.

The purpose of neighbourhood policing teams, which are police led is to provide communities with a point of contact together with a range of individuals such as partner organisations, youth workers, Neighbourhood Watch Groups.