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Bolton Neighbourhood Watch News |
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Summer Crime Prevention: Staying Safe in Hotter Weather Hot weather changes how we live — windows open, doors propped for airflow, pets in the car “just for a minute.” Unfortunately, it also changes how opportunistic offenders behave. Sneak‑in burglaries and vehicle thefts rise sharply during warm spells, and many of these crimes happen simply because a door, window, or car was left unsecured.
Why Crime Increases in Hot Weather These conditions create perfect opportunities for sneak‑in burglaries — quick, silent entries through unsecured points while occupants are home. Securing Doors and Windows: Your First Line of Defence Even when you’re indoors, an unlocked door or open window can be all an offender needs. Most sneak‑ins take under a minute. Vehicle Security: Small Mistakes, Big Consequences Warm weather often leads to relaxed habits around vehicles — and offenders know it. The Serious Danger of Leaving Pets in Vehicles Even with windows cracked, temperatures inside a car can rise to deadly levels within minutes.
Hot weather shouldn’t mean higher crime or unnecessary risks. By securing your home, locking your vehicle, and protecting pets from heat, you remove the opportunities that offenders — and dangerous temperatures — rely on. Hot Weather and Dashcam Batteries: What Drivers Need to Know As temperatures climb, many drivers think about sun glare, warm interiors, and longer journeys — but few consider how heat affects their dashcam. High temperatures can place serious strain on lithium‑ion dashcam batteries, increasing the risk of failure, swelling, or even fire. A little awareness goes a long way in keeping both your vehicle and your equipment safe. Why Heat Is Dangerous for Dashcam Batteries Dashcams are often mounted high on the windscreen, directly exposed to sunlight. Inside a parked car, temperatures can exceed 60°C, far beyond what most consumer batteries are designed to tolerate.
Dashcams are invaluable for road safety, but like all electronics, they need protection from summer heat. By understanding the risks and taking simple precautions, you can keep your device reliable — and your vehicle safer — throughout the hottest months
We’re about more than just keeping an eye out. We bring people together, help build friendships, and create communities where everyone feels safer, stronger, and supported. From sharing local information and raising awareness to organising activities and looking out for vulnerable neighbours, it all adds up to something powerful: connection. Our mission is to create places that are connected, active and safe, because we know that stronger communities are safer communities. Whether you have lots of time or just a little, there’s a place for you. You don’t need experience, just a willingness to care about where you live. Membership is free – so if you’ve ever thought about doing something for your community, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain. Find your nearest group or start your own at www.ourwatch.org.uk/joinNW
As part of this year’s Neighbourhood Watch Week, 1st -7th June 2026, Neighbourhood Watch are proud to launch our first-ever Award for Community Policing recognising outstanding collaboration between policing teams and the communities they serve. Award Criteria Nominations should demonstrate how individual officers or Neighbourhood Policing Teams have: Eligibility The awards are open to serving Neighbourhood officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), Police Constables (PCs), Sergeants, and Inspectors Timeline Nominations open on Thursday 4th June and close on Sunday 5th July 2026. How to nominate Nominations can be submitted by completing our nomination form, links to this will be on our special Neighbourhood Watch Week pages on our website www.ourwatch.org.uk/NWWeek. Our dedicated page for the police awards is http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/policeawards and nomination forms will be available from 4th June 2026. Sponsor This year’s awards are sponsored by VISAV, the company behind the Neighbourhood Alert system. Why these awards are important These awards provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the positive impact of partnership working, celebrate innovation in community policing, and promote the values of Neighbourhood Watch. Message of support We are very pleased to share the following message of support from Dr Fatima Eltinay, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire: "As Chair of Derbyshire Neighbourhood Watch and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire, I am delighted to support the Neighbourhood Watch Community Police Awards, recognising local police officers who go above and beyond for the communities they serve. Community policing is not only about responding to incidents. At its best, it is about being visible, approachable and rooted in local communities. It is about taking time to listen, understanding what matters to residents and working with partners to prevent harm, solve problems and build confidence. Through my role with Derbyshire Neighbourhood Watch, I see the real impact of officers who engage meaningfully with local people. Those relationships matter. They help residents feel heard, they encourage trust in policing and they strengthen the partnership between communities and the officers who serve them. These awards rightly shine a light on local officers whose commitment is often shown through quiet, consistent and everyday acts of community policing."
Nominations for the 2026 volunteer recognition awards will open on Monday 1 June and close on 5 July. It is so important to us to celebrate the great, often unique, work that our volunteers do. These awards, sponsored by SimpliSafe, recognise individuals whose work goes above and beyond - making a real change in their communities. We received over 385 nominations last year, so it was a very difficult task to choose the finalists. We have 5 categories, these are: Innovation and Reach Strengthening community connections. Do you know a Coordinator or Neighbourhood Watch group who have: Crime prevention Watching out for one another and demonstrating positive actions. Do you know of a Coordinator or Neighbourhood Watch group who have done something different to help prevent crime? Community health and wellbeing When we look out for one another, our community connection strengthens and supports us to do activities that bring us together. Let us know about a local Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator or group that: Special recognition award This category celebrates a Neighbourhood Watch volunteer who has gone above and beyond to make a difference in their neighbourhood or area, potentially over many years. Do you know a volunteer who has: Committed their time and efforts towards improving their area and the life of their community Demonstrated our values: friendly, trusted and active in their volunteering with Neighbourhood Watch Volunteered with Neighbourhood Watch but do not fall into the other award categories, for instance a Cyberhood Watch Ambassador, Association Lead, Membership Support Administrator (MSA) Young volunteer award Celebrating young volunteers, aged 16-24, who go the extra mile in their local communities, demonstrating our values and the importance of connection and action. Do you know a young person who: Eligibility All nominees must be Neighbourhood Watch volunteers with exception of the young person’s category. How to nominate Complete the online form below. The deadline for all nominations is 5 July.
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Practical Steps to Stay Safe
Neighbourhood Watch probably does a lot more than you might think 
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