Safe Communities and Community Patrols

Keeping our communities safe and free from crime and nuisance behaviour is a priority for many of us. But what makes a safe community? And what can we do to make our neighbourhoods even safer? Here we will discuss both of these things.

Safe Communities

Generally speaking, a safe community will be a neighbourhood that experiences minimal crime rates and little anti-social behaviour. Sadly, a minority of people can create a hostile atmosphere for the majority, and preventing this is how we keep our communities safe and make them happy places to live and work. Communities are often vibrant areas with a real mix of people from different backgrounds, and it’s living together peacefully that can make for an enjoyable place to be. Of course, the authorities try to keep on top of crime in local areas. Still, sometimes it’s community patrols that can really help to make a difference in a neighbourhood.

Community Patrols

Across many neighbourhoods worldwide, community patrol groups (sometimes called neighbourhood watch) are typically made up of people who all live and work within a neighbourhood and are passionate about keeping the area safe for everyone. Patrol groups will often organise themselves so that they regularly walk the community’s streets to keep an eye out for any crime or anti-social behaviour that’s taking place. Just the visible presence of these community patrols can deter potential criminals from operating, as they’re worried they’ll be seen and then identified to the police. In addition, community patrol groups will often fundraise and run awareness campaigns to make the area a nicer place to live, possibly organising community fun days and fundraising for local causes close to everyone’s hearts.