COMMUNITY crime watch groups have been set up in Grotton, Lees and Springhead to help tackle crime following a spate of burglaries in the areas.
Alicia Marland organised a meeting at Grotton Pavilion to get the initiative up and running.
About 30 members of the community were in attendance as well as Saddleworth Neighbourhood Police Team’s Sergeant Paul Heap and PC Jonny Marsden.
Alicia explained: “There has been a spike in crime, including in Grotton, with reports of suspicious vehicles, car theft, breaks in and damage to property by burning out lock barrels.
“We are trying to get the village and neighbours together to see what we can do by working together and with the police to tackle crime.
“A community policing group is a very effective way to tackle these incidents and report directly into the police so I’m delighted that many residents have shown an interest in creating a community crime watch group for the village.
“The more residents that are involved, the more intelligence can be circulated, the more action we can take and together we can make a difference.”
The gathering also heard from Lee Hudson and Neal Killen, co-ordinators from crime watch groups in Greenfield and Dobcross respectively, about how their groups were set up and operate.
Lee set up the Greenfield Neighbourhood Crime Watch Group in 2017 after a spate of crimes across his home village, especially car jackings.
Lee said: “I felt crime was getting out of hand and it was rising significantly in Greenfield so I wanted to get the community working together to tackle it.
“Vehicle crime was going through the roof and there had been a number of car jackings, including one on my street, so I thought we needed to do something.
“It was becoming a real concern, especially because the police have limited resources.”
His group has flourished from an online Facebook group to a network of co-ordinators covering almost every street in Greenfield who communicate on WhatsApp.
“We have foiled crimes with the help of the group,” he confirmed. “Crime fell by 20 per cent in our area so it is working.
“We help support the police, prevent crime and raise awareness of what’s happening across the community. We are the eyes and ears of the streets.”
Lee has helped launch similar groups in Greenfield and Friezland, Diggle, Dobcross, Denshaw, Scouthead and Austerlands, and hopes the initiative will eventually run across all Saddleworth villages.
Neal said the Dobcross group has been just as successful, helping raise awareness of things such as suspicious vehicles and doorstep sellers who can become aggressive.
He said: “It is not a vigilante group and we don’t break the law but I believe it works and helps the community.”
PC Marsden, neighbourhood police officer for Lees, Grotton and Springhead, praised the groups for the help they provide to benefit the community.
“Over the years our resources have been stripped down and we do rely on support and help from groups like this,” he said.
“It is not always the case that the police can get to an incident so it is useful to be able to alert neighbours quickly. You help us and we help you so everyone benefits.
“Sometimes we see things online but it’s not reported so it’s difficult to respond to it. We need people to report crimes to us, not just post it on social media, so we can follow it up.”
He encouraged people to take steps to protect their homes, such as getting alarms or CCTV installed and fences around properties.
Sergeant Heap added: “A new Chief Superintendent has recently come in and we are looking forward to a new direction and being more proactive to reduce crime.
“We are passionate about policing and will do everything we can for the community.”
• If you are interested in being part of one of the Crime Watch Group’s WhatsApp group, email your name, address, postcode and if you have CCTV to one of the following:
– grottoncrime@gmail.com
– springheadcrime@gmail.com
– leescrime@gmail.com
The purpose is to form a tight community network to reach out to neighbours and alert each other of any suspicious activity or crimes, raise awareness and promote vigilance to deter criminal activity.
• To report a crime, call 999 in an emergency, call 101 in a non-emergency or go on the GMP website to report it: www.gmp.police.uk
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