What is a Neighbourhood Watch group?
Neighbourhood Watch schemes aim to bring neighbours together to create strong, friendly, active communities where crime and anti-social behaviour are less likely to happen.
The groups aim to ensure that no one has to feel afraid, vulnerable or isolated in the place where they live. The goals are to help residents:
Share advice on home security
Share advice on issues such as personal safety, fire safety, dealing with bogus callers and so on
Become more vigilant
Receive police information on crime trends and other local issues.
Does joining a Neighbourhood Watch group lower my home insurance costs?
It may do. Neighbourhood Watch schemes are designed to reduce household crime. And less crime in your area means you’re lowering the risk of needing to make a claim on your insurance. Some providers recognise this and might reduce your home insurance premium if you’re a Neighbourhood Watch member, but not all do.
When you complete a quote with us, we’ll ask if you belong to a Neighbourhood Watch scheme. If you’re a member, some insurance providers might offer you a discount.
Contents insurance premiums are inevitably higher if you live in an area regarded as higher risk. But whether you live in a high-crime area or a low one, you could still benefit from joining a Neighbourhood Watch scheme as it could help you feel safer.
Top tip
Curious about crime rates in your area? The police offer a free service where you can see crime locations and statistics for where you live. See the crime map on Police.UK
How do I join a local Neighbourhood Watch scheme?
If you’re keen to join a Neighbourhood Watch group, you’ll first need to register as a member of the national body, then find a scheme in your area.
You could search for one online and join for free. You should also be able to tell if you live in a Neighbourhood Watch area by the appearance of a yellow sign on a lamppost in your street.
Neighbourhood Watch meetings are typically informal, but you’ll be expected to show up as often as possible to discuss local hot topics of concern. You’ll also learn how to spot and prevent crime – all of which is good for helping to keep home insurance costs down in your area.
If there isn’t a scheme where you live, you could start your own Neighbourhood Watch group. Just make sure you have plenty of local support and you’re able to dedicate enough time to running it.
What type of crime does Neighbourhood Watch report on?
Neighbourhood Watch tackles traditional offences like burglary and car crime, but also new types of criminal activity that have become more prominent in recent years. Crimes the group aims to prevent include:
Anti-social behaviour
Street harassment
Burglary
Car crime
Hate crime
Dog theft
County lines drug dealing
Rural crime
Cybercrime.
Neighbourhood Watch has also teamed up with Deliveroo riders to train them on how to spot and report the signs of domestic abuse, human trafficking and other crimes they might see during their deliveries.
What do I have to do as a Neighbourhood Watch member?
If an insurance provider has given you a discount for belonging to a Neighbourhood Watch group, they will expect you to be an active member of the scheme.
If you make a claim, your insurance provider may ask for proof of membership. So, it might be helpful to attend meetings, share police information with other members and generally commit to the scheme.
When you go on holiday, tell another member and ask them to keep an eye on your property. It’s also worth knowing other ways to improve your home security.
So, if you’re not already a member, why not rally your community and create a Neighbourhood Watch scheme? Then see if you can save on your home insurance with our home insurance comparison service.
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As well as writing for Churchill and Privilege insurance websites, Karen’s CV includes working with M&S, Debenhams, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis. With over 20 years of editorial experience for big household names she leads a talented content team with a focus on simplifying personal finance for everybody.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
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