From RCIPS

Community Policing Officers in the Bodden Town District (Beats 3, 4 and 5) came together in the North Sound Gardens community last Sunday, 27 January, to talk about neighbourhood security with residents during one of the Community Policing Department’s first crime prevention workshops of 2019.

“It is our intention to hold this kind of educational meeting in each community policing beat this year,” said Chief Inspector Everton Spence, who manages both the Community Policing and Traffic portfolios.  “The field of crime prevention and reduction is always developing, in terms of technology and methods, and we want to share these developments with residents along with the crime trends we are seeing on the islands and in their area.”

During the presentation officers demonstrated new and compact alarm devices for home and property as well as “pin” alarms that can be worn while exercising outside to enhance personal safety.  Alongside demonstrations of new technology, officers also emphasized the importance of neighbourhood watches to reduce crime and also improve the quality of life in an area.

“Devices and alarms, while effective, are no substitute for active and watchful neighbours when it comes to crime reduction in an area,” continued Chief Inspector Spence. “The connectedness and watchfulness of a neighbourhood makes it harder for suspicious and criminal activity to go unnoticed, which is what criminals count on.”

“Since spring of 2017, when Bodden Town had a high burglary rate, several new neighbourhood watches have been launched, bringing the total number in the district to fourteen,” said PS Cornelius Pompey, head of the Bodden Town Community Policing sector, “and we have seen burglaries drop throughout the district.  While significant arrests were made, I have no doubt that more active watches in communities also contributed to this crime reduction.”

Go here to get in touch with the Beat Officer and learn about neighbourhood watches in your area.