Our Focus

What do we do?

Neighbourhood Watch is a community based crime prevention program that represents a partnership approach to community policing. This program, launched in 1983, builds links between police and local communities to develop and put into action community safety initiatives. Currently, there are almost 1300 Neighbourhood Watch areas in Victoria, including both urban and rural areas.

Neighbourhood Watch enables geographically distinct communities to have input in local community safety issues and Victoria Police fosters a partnership approach to give participants in the program a degree of ownership of these issues.

Victoria Police's approach supplements the strong community links created by Neighbourhood Watch.

Neighbourhood Watch aims to:

• Minimise the incidence of preventable crime.
• Deter criminal activity by increasing the probability of apprehension.
• Reduce the fear of crime.
• Increase the reporting of crime and suspicious behaviour.
• Improve the degree of personal and household security through education programs.
• Expand the program's involvement in wider community safety and crime prevention initiatives including yearly Neighbourhood Watch conferences.

Contact:

Neighbourhood Watch Victoria Incorporated
Ms Gill Metz, State Manager
St Kilda Road Police Station
18th Floor, 412 St Kilda Road
MELBOURNE VIC 3004
Phone: (03) 9865 2968

More detailed information is available at the Neighbourhood Watch website: http://www.nhw.com.au