Oldham crime fighters to be awarded

GMP

A new search has launched to find the local community heroes who are fighting crime on the front line in Oldham. Nominations are open to all, whether PCSOs, Special Constable volunteers, standout police officers, Neighbourhood Watch representatives or simply vigilant members of the community.

Over three quarters (82%) of residents in the North West are partial to a spot of curtain twitching and admit to keeping a lookout on their neighbours’ houses, according to research by safe.co.uk that reveals UK attitudes towards burglary and local crime. On top of this, over a third (37%) have had a delivered parcel stolen from outside their front door, fuelling the home security retailer to ramp up community efforts towards preventing burglary.

The research also reveals that social media is increasingly used by communities in the North West to catch burglars, with 48 per cent using online forums such as Facebook groups and even Instagram to help catch burglars in their area. Communities are fighting back, as it is revealed that 55 per cent demand more police patrolling North West neighbourhoods to prevent burglaries.

Anthony Neary, managing director for safe.co.uk, commented, “We want to give local community ‘heroes’ in Oldham the recognition they deserve, whether they’re part of the local police force or not. Burglary can disrupt entire communities and with our research revealing that a significant proportion of us want more police patrolling neighbourhoods, there could be a real place for communities coming together to assist the authorities.“

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