Neighbourhood Watch

The neighbourhood watch scheme is about getting people together with their neighbours to take action to combat local crime.

Suffolk Neighbourhood Watch schemes helps to make our neighbourhoods more secure and our communities feel safer.

The main objectives of Neighbourhood Watch are:

· To prevent and reduce crime in our neighbourhoods

· To help provide reassurance to people in our communities

· To provide appropriate and up-to-date crime reduction advice

· To encourage members of our communities to be alert and watchful in looking after themselves and others

· To act as a channel of communication - passing on timely information from the police to the community and from the community to the police - to help prevent and detect crimes.

Somersham Neighbourhood Watch scheme was democratically set up in 1986 by the Ipswich police, its first co-ordinator was Eric Burroughs, assisted by Michael Southgate.

1991 Rosemary Southgate took over as co-ordinator; the scheme was small and only covered the east side of Somersham from Princes Gardens to Church Lane, including Park Cottages.

1999 Colin Burrows the present co-ordinator was co-opted by the Suffolk Constabulary to join the scheme as a co-ordinator to assist Rosemary Southgate as she wished to retire in 2001, after Rosemary’s retirement the scheme was extended to cover the whole of Somersham village, and had the support from the Parish Council.

The role of Neighbourhood Watch is to try and relieve the fear of crime, anti-social behaviour and nuisance, to name only a few, the way Colin has organised the scheme in Somersham has been commended by the National Neighbourhood Watch Association in London.

In the year 2002 the Somersham Scheme received a commendation in the National Neighbourhood Watch Awards 2002, and also from the Suffolk Constabulary Crime Reduction Office, in recognition of the Scheme’s work for the community of Somersham.

Neighbourhood Watch Awards

In 2004 Colin the scheme co-ordinator won the top award for the Western Area of Suffolk and was selected as the overall winner of Mid Suffolk.

Community Achievement Award

In 2009 Colin the scheme co-ordinator was awarded the Suffolk Community Achievement Award for his work within the community, for Neighbourhood Watch, and teaching as a cycle training instructor with the children of Somersham and Ringshall schools the High Way Code and cycle training courses,  and for his work with the Golden Link, the local over 60s Club.

Two years ago after the Suffolk policing review in 2016, The Suffolk Neighbourhood Watch parted from the Police Constabulary and has now been set up as a voluntary organisation, working in partnership with the national Neighbourhood Watch organisation, since then, the co-ordinators have not been able to receive any crime updates from the local Constabulary, so the alterative was for those who were committed to their work was to register with Police Uk to receive local area crime updates, unfortunately these are almost 2 months behind.

In the past days of Neighbourhood Watch there were personal visits and meetings with the local Police, it was

a pleasure to be in N/W, but those days are now long gone.

Prior to 2016, Colin has worked with, and assisted the CID, SOCO (scene of crime officers) and attended court cases, and was well known from the Chief Constable down the ranks at Martlesham Force HQ, and Bury St. Edmunds police station.

Today the Co-ordinators are volunteers who rely upon the Internet for N/W newsletters and information; they do not have any other means of communication with the organisations as in the past.

The Somersham scheme is registered with the NNWA, SNWA, and www.ourwatch.org.uk

Colin Burrows

Co-ordinator Email:- nw.somersham@talktalk.net