Neighbourhood Watch Chilmington
Peter New
My name is Peter New. I work in the community as a Police Volunteer and a member of the Neighbourhood Watch Team. In my working life I served for 34 years with the Kent Fire Brigade and when I retired, I was Assistant Chief Officer Head of Operations for the whole County of Kent. I use much of that experience in engaging with the community to try my best to keep you crime free, but just as important, free from the fear of being a victim of crime.
The Police have supported me to pilot a scheme on certain “New Build Sites” so that as the first residents move in, we get NHW off the ground and our Crime and Safety Prevention Plan grows with the development.
As the Chilmington development grows Neighbourhood Watch grows with it and the values I have set out below ensure it becomes a wonderful place to live and we keep everyone as safe and secure as we possibly can with good crime prevention and safety advice.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH CHILMINGTON
“PREVENTION IS THE KEY TO THIS WORK“ We can never ever quantify what we have prevented or indeed what we may prevent.
As always I set out the principles of Neighbourhood Watch:
An active Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, which is free to join, can:
- Reduce crime and the opportunities for crime
- Help and reassure those who live in fear of crime
- Encourage neighbourliness and closer communities
- Help improve the local environment.
To deliver this crime and safety information I visit every new home and resident and register the property with a contact email as soon as possible after the resident(s) move in.
I have also set up a Facebook group NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH CHILMINGTON which I ask residents to join if they are on Facebook. That way I can deliver general advice to readers BUT I can also communicate a very targeted message direct into a property for the occupiers via their email.
The Facebook group allows all the occupiers of a property to be in touch with Neighbourhood Watch. It is absolutely essential that we also engage with younger members of the community who are just as vulnerable to the modern-day crimes especially with all the devices available even to the youngest of children.
CRIME PREVENTION
To ensure I stay up to date with all key partners I link in for regular meetings with both MPs that cover Ashford.
Sojan Joseph and Katie Lam ( above)
Next, I meet regularly with the Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott at Force HQ and occasionally out in the District.
The next layers of councillors to work with are with Kent County Council and Ashford Borough Council.
The most local of council representation is with Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council. They hold revolving meetings around the parish and one in 3 meetings is held in the Cabin Building on the development.
I have a fantastic working relationship with them, and I hope residents will pop along to the odd meeting and meet these very community based folk.
Since I enrolled the first Neighbourhood Watch members on the development in 2019 crime trends have changed slightly and my job is to move with the times and read “the clouds on the horizon” to keep Chilmington residents crime free.
The important matter to consider is that the new roads will become just another set of roads in the growing Ashford District and we will need to think our crime prevention along those lines.
The Ashford crime trends and thereby the Chilmington risks are as follows. Thankfully across Kent burglaries are very low.
- Leave nothing whatsoever in your car when you park especially last park up for the night. Criminals walk the streets of Ashford trying car doors and peering into cars looking for items left within. Vans carrying tools are a constant target. If you can park vans as safe as possible. Back rear doors tight up against something helps.
- Care with any outbuildings like car ports, sheds and garages.
- Care with internet shopping parcels that are left on doorsteps. The delivery vans are now followed so even the most out of the way difficult to find property on the newest part of Chilmington is now at risk.
- Always take care with Rogue Traders/Bogus callers never agree to any unsolicited work on your doorstep no matter how cheap or attractive the price. You would be vulnerable to items like patio extensions. The costs rise and the work is shoddy and sometimes these criminals become aggressive.
- Scams are the rising crime trend. 24 hours a day 365 days a year for everything and anything. Do absolutely nothing in a rush. Check, check and check again.
- If you set up house insurance, tell them you are in Neighbourhood Watch, most companies allow a small discount on premiums.
- Clearly building work will go on for many years and building sites do attract criminals through the whole stage until houses/flats are occupied. From construction thefts, right through to theft of white goods on homes just about to be occupied.
- Complete car thefts and matters like catalytic converter thefts have to date not struck on Chilmington but again we must never say never.
- Criminal damage and Anti Social behaviour. Always report please. Let keep the development as nice and Anti Social behaviour free as possible.
CALLING THE POLICE
Do not hesitate use 999 for “crimes in progress or crimes about to happen”
You can report non urgent crimes via 101, online, or live chat BUT please if in doubt use 999 and let Force Control decide responses.
THE POLICE ARE NOT CLAIRVOYANT
They must be called. Please report every single crime no matter how small, even attempted crimes, that is the only way we can build up a picture of criminal activity but importantly it is the only way I can issue crime prevention and warnings to residents if we know what has happened.
Please join the Chilmington Neighbourhood Watch and also my Facebook group NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH CHILMINGTON
Just email me for the group and apply on Facebook and I will approve.
Thank you all for your support for the work and for me personally. It would be difficult without it. The warm friendly reception I always get is very rewarding and uplifting.
I said in my introduction that the way I work with new build developments I have now used in other developments.
That work was recognised nationally and in 2024 I picked up an award at a ceremony in London.
In my acceptance speech I made a point that you are all part of the award by the way you have supported the concept, and the work so thank you all.
The award by national Neighbourhood Watch was for Innovation and Reach into communities.
The Journey So Far
Good work with signage and linking in with sales teams.
The next phases are ready to go
Please consider being another piece of the CRIME PREVENTION JIGSAW with Neighbourhood Watch.
Contact me on peternew1@aol.com to join NHW or to ask any questions REMEMBER IT’S ALL FREE !
Take care, stay safe, secure, alert and vigilant
NEVER FORGET
“THE MORE WE ARE THE STRONGER WE ARE, and CRIME CANNOT FLOURISH IN COMMUNITIES THAT CARE “.
Thank you all very much, I really appreciate all of your support
Peter
Peter New
Kent Police Volunteer & Neighbourhood Watch Team
