Fears for future of Home Watch

POLICING fears:(l-r) Supt Catherine Hankinson, Chief Constable Peter Fahy, GMPA chairman Paul Murphy and Alan Griffiths, of Shaw and Crompton Home Watch, at a public meeting on policing in Oldham

Police role set to come to an end
CONCERNS over the future of Oldham’s Home Watch schemes have been raised after savage police cuts.

The divisional co-ordinator of all 10 Oldham organisations must leave her position in January, 2012, prompting leaders of Home Watch — dubbed the extra eyes and ears of police — to voice their fears.

They have praised the dedication of Julie Wright, whose valuable role which she only started in May, will be taken on by PCSOs who will be expected to chair meetings, make notes, distribute minutes and co-ordinate communications between all of the groups.

The blow comes after the worst rioting in Greater Manchester for years and rising burglary rates. An emergency recall of Parliament yesterday featured a fierce debate over whether police cuts should be reversed.

Alan Griffiths, of the Shaw and Crompton scheme, said it was a case of “united we stand, together we fall.”

“The police have enough to do — they’re really busy and they don’t have the time to co-ordinate the meetings,” he said.

“Individual Home Watch groups could carry on but without a co-ordinator how will we get important information from the other groups?

“Who has the time to do that . . . and unpaid! I don’t think anyone would have the enthusiasm. Julie puts out six pages of information with her minutes. She has put a lot of hard work into her job and I don’t know what we will do without a replacement.”

He added that all of the councillors on Greater Manchester Police Authority should take a 10 per cent cut in their salaries to help the survival of the vital schemes.

Alan Wilde, who chairs Chadderton’s group, said: “Home Watch groups rely a lot on the public for their intelligence but the police are doing a superb job under difficult circumstances.

It’s not to say the PCSOs won’t do the best job they can with regard to the emails and warnings about bogus callers, as their job is out on the streets reassuring the public. It will just be a trial-and-error situation when Julie leaves but we have to make sure the schemes don’t fall apart.”

Only last month, constable Peter Fahy of Greater Manchester Police, speaking after a public meeting in Oldham, said: “What came across was a huge belief in neighbourhood policing.

“Residents particularly value Home Watch and their local police stations.”

Chief inspector Haydn Roberts said that the home, pub and business watch schemes are critical in Oldham and will continue to be in the future.

He added: “It is well known that Greater Manchester Police has to make savings of around £134million over the next four years and that every effort is being made to preserve frontline resources.

“We have to look carefully at our back-office functions to see if they can be delivered in more efficient ways.

“The PCSOs are already responsible for the delivery of a range of engagement processes including surgeries and, with the right training, they will be able to support their local watch schemes, enabling us to disestablish the co-ordinator’s post

“The current post-holder will be supported through a redundancy process.

“We have until January, next year, to ensure we work with all parties to ensure there is no reduction in the service we provide to the residents of Oldham.”