EDITORIAL: Neighbourhood Watches useful

Residents of a St. Michael community recently came together to do something about the criminal activity in their area, by uniting to form a Neighbourhood Watch with the full support of the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF).

“Our Neighbourhood Watch Association arose out of our concern for the crime situation in our country, and specifically, the safety of our families in this Clermont/Clerpark community,” President of the Association, Dr. Chelston Brathwaite, indicated.

“We believe that working together as a community with the support of the security forces of our country, we can contribute to strengthening the community and improving the welfare of all our residents,” he added, as he revealed that there were three cars stolen as well as an attempted burglary.

Reports are that, “He told residents and senior members of the RBPF in attendance that crime is also becoming a very serious economic issue, and stressed that Barbados cannot afford to invest in the restructuring and modernisation of the country and the promotion of tourism when the news reports indicate a high level of crime.”

Now a Neighbourhood Watch is one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programmes known to man. It brings citizens together with law enforcement, to deter crime and make communities safer. That said, Neighbourhood Watch groups are not vigilantes and should not assume the role of the police. Their duty is to ask neighbours to be alert and observant and to report suspicious activity or crimes immediately to the police or of late, Crime Stoppers Barbados.

Here in Barbados, it is clear that Neighbourhood Watches need to be strengthened and in some cases revived, in an effort to reduce the incidence of certain types of crime carried out in vulnerable communities. We have all grown up hearing that we need to be our brother’s keeper and though the society is growing more and more individualistic by the minute, some things do require a group effort. While the idea of a Neighbourhood Watch may not appeal to some who have decided to keep to themselves and mind their own business, we can easily see how such positions taken may easily turn around when crime becomes widespread.

Whilst the focus at present has been on a spate of gun violence afflicting the country, we must not forget that there are other types of crime that are being committed, that may be overshadowed by violent crime, but nonetheless have a negative effect on citizens. Thus, homeowners really need to consider not only instituting neighbourhood watches as part of a community-based crime prevention programme, but they need to generally think of what they can do to make their homes and communities safer. Neighbours who are home during the day can perhaps be on the lookout for suspicious activity. Homeowners can then go the extra mile to secure windows and doors, install motion sensor lights and even alarm systems if they deem necessary.

Remember, the aim is to reduce preventable crime, all the while promoting closer ties in the community. Neighbourhood Watches do place some responsibility on homeowners to protect their property and those of others, but alas, we should all remember that we can work in partnership with the police force as well, to ensure that we have safe communities in which to live and thrive.

Barbados Advocate

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