Politicians have had their day, it’s now all down to us!

Lighening Bolt. Not unlike the effect the year on year
spending cuts will have in the UK

Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch (in Peterborough) Chairman Julian Bray writes: So we’ve had all the talk about cuts and make no mistake these Governement funding cuts in the UK and elsewhere in Europe will bite hard and are here to stay for five years at least.


Many people will lose their jobs, life and times will get much harder and the services we have come to rely on will simply vanish or be watered down. Despite what the politicians say the cuts will certainly hit families with children, the vulnerable, the low waged, says the highly respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (low waged loss about 5.4 per cent).


Families will be squeezed financially and many who have enjoyed low or minimal rents in social housing will find rentals on new occupancies being increased to a level not far off rents charged by the private or commercial sector. Taking all this together, might have a knock on effect in terms of an increase in anti-social behaviour as some families will simply not be able to cope. What has not been considered is that VAT is also set to rise in January to 20 per cent, automatically triggering a round of further higher price rises all over the place.


Life is rapidly getting more expensive and we will all be paying far more for a great deal less! Rail fares are set to skyrocket with £1,000 on a commuters annual season ticket. The list goes on and on so, rather than work ourselves into a real paddy, what can be done?


Clearly quality of life, and an ability to keep our families safe and secure has to be very near the top of what we strive for. The Neighbourhood Watch scheme on Park Farm has certainly year on year focused attention of both the Police and the community on the very small minority, who at one time tried to make all our lives a misery.

It’s been a struggle and not all officials have welcomed us with open arms, but the sheer relentless nature of our continuing contact programme has made a difference, so the initial doubters have had to take notice.


No matter how many cuts in funding are made, with the voluntary status of PFNW we are uniquely placed and can maintain our service to the community and indeed invite the community to be a part of it. To use an old Union statement ‘Unity is strength’ and no more so than a healthy PFNW punching well above its weight! PFNW raised funds and financially contributed to the setting up of the new skate and scooter facility and even an all weather shelter where they can ‘hang out’ in style and comparative safety.


A series of arrests, parental control orders and in some cases a good old ticking off mainly by parents and guardians has seen crime figure stabilise and in some cases drift downwards. But it’s not all down to hoodies, much of the former mayhem on our doorsteps in Park Farm and Stanground was put down to the older career criminal and a dysfunctional yobbo element for whom no cure is seemingly possible!


So they have all been on the radar and frankly if there is too much heat then the distraction burglary or handbag snatch just becomes too much of an effort, with not two but dozens of eyes and hundreds of camera mobile phones, silently recording almost every move, simply watching the bad lads and lasses all the time and around the clock.


Confidential telephone lines, the internet, the new interactive (hate that word) website and a well thought out local policing strategy which the new Cambridgeshire Constabulary Chief Constable Simon Parr is very keen to maintain, even in difficult financial times, have all finally come together and we are not going to let it all break down now, we all have to much to lose.


We’ve devised a new direct action strategy for Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch [PFNW] it fits in well with the local neighbourhood policing strategy and aims to provide a support service and intelligence as appropriate. You will have already noticed that the media is a core part of the new strategy, our friends in the press, radio and television, both regional and national are all directly involved.

Those caught up on the wrong side of the law will soon find that the full glare of sustained media publicity will be turned upon them and their associates, simply everyone in the community will know. Following legal process “Named, shamed and blamed”,


They will be quickly shunned in their usual social haunts, fingers will be pointed and shopkeepers will already know who they are.


The beauty of this strategy is that we as citizens already have this power – the power of communication and passive direct action. We’ll leave the arrests and locking up to the professionals, but with our willing army of ever seeing eyes and immediate access to communication we can help the Police by increasing the quality of information and intelligence we pass to them.


Instead of requesting visits by police usually with a car, we can use e-cops, physically make the trip to a nearest Police station, mobile police office or simply telephone the general help number or even use neighbourhood watch members to keep an eye on any developing situation. Simply the budget cuts will have an effect on everything we do and on many services we have up to now taken for granted.


It is all changing, so the plea is can we turn what appears to be a fiscal catastrophe into something that really works for us? Already PFNW has streamlined the system, no one in our area has been left out, everyone is included. Membership is FREE, no time is required on your part, just the ability to pick up a phone, send an e-mail and take a look at the website, possibly adding a few comments or asking for information, it really is that simple.


We started all this by highlighting the savage funding cuts that are being made but if we can turn this to our advantage, now is the time to re-think everything, do it better, faster, brighter and cheaper!





(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581