The document discusses concerns from Home Watch coordinators in Greater Manchester about the future of Home Watch schemes. Key concerns included lack of support, communication and funding as police budgets are cut. Suggestions to address these included designating a central coordinator, improving information sharing between police and schemes, and establishing divisional or regional Home Watch groups to oversee matters at a higher level. Overall there was mixed opinion on whether a Greater Manchester level group would be beneficial but agreement that divisional groups could help share best practices.

1. Greater Manchester
Home Watch
Conference
Table Top Questions

2. What are your concerns, if any, for the future of Home Watch schemes in
Greater Manchester?
• More communication with GMP / Council.
• Not enough support i.e. setting up website. Need more assistant.
• Only one key contact – need more contacts / coordination from police
• The cost of 101 number from mobile phones.
• Negotiate with the Mobile providers for set fixed charge for when callers are waiting
‘on hold’ or for the control room.
• Direct communication that is consistent throughout the network. All
sectors should be treated the same. Some sub-areas get no
information direct from the Police.
• Are they looking at the reduction in the numbers of PCSO’s
who provide a vital link?
• We don’t get as much support as we used to do and a lot of
schemes have fallen by the wayside.
• We really need a local Home Watch administrator who
produced the newsletters – people think its gone.
• The PCSO’s will have insufficient time to service the Home Watch.
Time shortage for the Home Watch coordinators.

3. What are your concerns, if any, for the future of Home Watch schemes in
Greater Manchester…continued.
• Less presence of PCSO’s / Police on the streets.
• Being aware of any changes, information sharing is very slow.
• With the Police cuts, the efficiency of the neighbourhood police teams could be
effected.
• Keeping up the good support from the neighbourhood police, concerns of lack of
volunteers in the future due to the pension age.
• No interest from Neighbourhood teams / staff. Lack of communication (changes of
staff etc).
• Presence felt all the time. Homewatch should be more assertive
in prevention of local problems. Be more proactive.
• Finding volunteers to get involved and to run schemes. Why
are police stations being moved away from town centres?
• Lack of enthusiasm. Frightened of repercussions.
• Thought Home Watch had been abandoned? Support and guidance
needed.
• Want INPT to be more individual.
• Concerns about the role of PCC in November 2012.
• Can take long time to get information – PCSO’s are too busy.

4. Besides funding, what more can GMP do to assist in the smooth running of
Home Watch schemes?
• Better Communication
• More consistent faces.
• Better publicity.
• Review areas where there are gaps and increase schemes which can join others.
Schemes are asking for 50p/£1 from each member to assist in funding.
• Timely Direct Communication, and when PCSO’s are moved from an area, the
replacement must take time to introduce themselves to their new area.
• Possibly have a lead central local co-ordinator maybe a PCSO?
More contact with the Police.
• Bring back the administrator, without whom we become
isolated and flounder.
• PCSO’s do not necessarily have access to information about the
Home Watch coordinators.
• More partner agencies to be involved in starting schemes.
• Set up a training procedure for coordinators?

5. Besides funding, what more can GMP do to assist in the smooth running of
Home Watch schemes…..continued.
• Better quality of communications from GMP.
• Liaising more with other agencies – more partnership working.
• More beat meetings.
• Invites to Police Stations.
• Representation at every meeting if possible and information sharing.
• Encourage more young people to get involved.

6. Do you think there would be a benefit to having a Divisional or Greater
Manchester Home watch scheme group to oversee matters at a Divisional or
Greater Manchester level?
• Yes definitely for majority of those who attended.
• No for one member who runs 25 coordinators already.
• Some felt it would work on the Divisional level but not on a Greater Manchester
level.
• Suggestion to use Local Councillors more – no relevance with Greater Manchester
level.
• Waste of time.
• Yes more people facilitate between coordinators.
• More benefit to having a Divisional Home Watch Group –
sharing information so best practice can be more easily
shared.
• No. You can be too big and have too many layers.