Neighbourhood Watch Meeting – Working Together for Safer Communities

Today, members of your Local Policing Team attended the latest Neighbourhood Watch meeting which was held at New Life Church and arranged by your Neighbourhood Watch resident whose commitment and determination, has implemented a strong structure of communication across the ward. 

The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for residents to meet their local police officers, discuss concerns affecting their neighbourhoods, and learn more about how we can work together to keep our communities safe.

During the session, we provided information on:

✅ The importance of reporting crime, anti-social behaviour and community concerns
✅ How to report incidents to the police and why reporting matters
✅ The Herbert Protocol and how it can assist those living with, or being assessed for, dementia
✅ What to do if you come across someone who appears lost, vulnerable or confused

Following a very informative presentation on the steering group that is working towards making Biggin Hill a Dementia Friendly Community, officers discussed the importance of recognising when someone may be lost, vulnerable or confused and knowing what action to take.

When a person is living with dementia, they may become disorientated, even in familiar surroundings, and that early intervention can make a significant difference to their safety and wellbeing. Residents were encouraged to be aware of the signs that someone may be struggling and to seek appropriate assistance where necessary.

Officers also provided information on the Herbert Protocol, a simple but highly effective scheme that assists police and partner agencies in locating vulnerable missing people more quickly by providing key information in advance. We would encourage anyone caring for, or supporting, a person living with dementia to consider completing a Herbert Protocol form. https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/missing-person/missing-persons/vulnerable-people-at-risk-of-going-missing/

If you would like to know more, follow on Facebook Biggin Hill Dementia Partnership, or email bhdementiapartnership@gmail.com

Why Reporting Matters

A key topic of discussion was the importance of reporting incidents to the police, no matter how minor they may initially seem.

Every report we receive helps build a picture of what is happening within our communities. While a single incident may appear isolated, when combined with other reports it can provide valuable intelligence, helping us identify patterns, emerging trends, hotspot locations and repeat offenders.

Information provided by residents helps us to:

Reporting can also provide reassurance to victims of crime. It is not uncommon for someone who has experienced crime to feel they have been specifically targeted. However, where only one incident has been reported, the wider picture may not be known. Once reports are received and reviewed, we can often identify whether similar incidents have occurred nearby and establish whether an offence forms part of a wider pattern affecting multiple victims. This understanding can provide reassurance and helps us direct our efforts more effectively.

Quite simply, if incidents are not reported, we may not be aware of them and therefore cannot assess the true impact on the community or take appropriate action.

Improving Communication With Our Community

It was also brought to the team's attention that improvements could be made in relation to providing feedback and updates to residents following the reporting of concerns. We fully recognise how important it is for communities to understand what action has been taken and how the information they provide contributes to local policing activity.  

This is one of the key reasons why we are encouraging more residents to sign up to Met Engage Direct.

Met Engage Direct allows your local policing team to communicate directly with residents by providing:

Currently, your local policing team has 294 residents signed up to Met Engage Direct, whilst local Neighbourhood Watch schemes have over 700 members. We would love to see more residents registering so we can improve communication, provide more timely updates and ensure as many people as possible are informed about policing activity in their area. Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators agreed that they would assist in getting members to sign up and have direct updates and contact with their local policing team.

Thank you to everyone who attended today and for your continued commitment to supporting your communities. By working together, sharing information and looking out for one another, we can help make our neighbourhoods safer, stronger and more connected places to live.