Case Studies

BT joins Neighbourhood Watch fight against crime

2010

Vicki Kapoor Sood from BT Global Services was the proud winner of a BT Community Champions Award for her work with the Spelthorne Neighbourhood Watch scheme in Surrey. Neighbourhood watch is a method of developing close liaison between households in a neighbourhood, the local police and the authorities.

Vicki takes up the story, "Our aim of this community group is to help people protect themselves and their properties, reduce the fear of crime and improve the local environment by improved home security, providing greater vigilance, and fostering a community spirit.

"It benefits the Spelthorne community as it helps enhance community spirit, reduces crime and we work together with our neighbours making Spelthorne a safer place to live and work in. Our group has brought together people of all ages and backgrounds who perhaps would not have met each other without the scheme."

Over the past few years the group have been successful in getting eight street lights installed, increasing police patrols, reducing the number of bogus callers and traders and also arranged for an alley way to be closed off as it was used as a base for drug dealing. Crime in Spelthorne has dramatically decreased and they have now set up 176 watches.

Vicki, the neighbourhood co-ordinator said, "I attend the Surrey annual general meeting and also attend crime and community meetings run by the home office. The area I cover has become a family area as it covers the park as well. I have brought all the watches together and we all work as one team by working together and all communicating together we have managed to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Where there was once burnt out cars there is now youths playing football, dog walkers and kids playing in the park with their family and friends. By making my area successful, others areas have seen the results and know improvements can make their area safer and my area is a perfect example."

Vicki has volunteered with the community group for five years and regularly gives 25 hours a month to the scheme. "I took the role of neighbourhood co-ordinator attending various meetings and using my negotiating skills I managed to get the council to install eight street lights, an alley way blocked off, a family evicted who were causing anti-social behaviour. Litter and drunkenness was also a problem and I managed to reduce this by liaising with the authorities.

"My area is now an example for many, that with all my personal involvement and working with the right people as a team you can make a difference, my example is used all over Spelthorne, on Surrey police web site and in all the local papers.

"In 2007 I was awarded a respect award by Louise Casey and Tony Blair, for taking a stand and tackling anti-social behaviour, and asked to attend regular crime and communities meetings to investigate how to tackle crime in the UK, as my area is a success.

"Last year I received an award from the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and I was invited to 10 Downing Street for my contribution to making my area safer." said Vicki.

The money awarded from the scheme is going to be used to provide additional Neighbourhood Watch signs for new schemes in Spelthorne. Vicki concluded, "I was really pleased to win this award as part of the BT Communities Champions scheme. The work I am involved in is all about community spirit and for BT to recognise this is extremely satisfying."

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