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Liberals announce 21st Century Neighbourhood Watch Program for Western Sydney

The NSW Liberals & Nationals will help make Penrith streets safer through a genuine partnership between Police and local communities, Shadow Minister for Police Mike Gallacher and Liberal Member for Penrith Stuart Ayressaid as they announced a 21st Century Neighbourhood Watch Program today.

The Neighbourhood Watch Program was launched by Mr Gallacher and Mr Ayres in conjunction with Liberal Candidates for Mulgoa and Londonderry Tanya Davies and Bart Bassett at the Kingswood Neighbourhood Centre.

\”While nothing can replace having Police on the beat, local communities should be able to help in the fight against local crime,” Mr Gallacher said.

“Local people working in collaboration with local Police through community policing is the most effective way of tackling crime,” he said.

\”Neighbourhood Watch was one of the most well-established and successful community policing initiatives.

“The NSW Liberals & Nationals want to bring that back, modernise it, and make it relevant for communities today. It will act as another arm of the Police Force’s community policing initiatives.

\”If elected, we will breathe new life into Neighbourhood Watch by:

  • Requiring every Local Area Command (LAC) to have at least one Neighbourhood Watch group;
  • Piloting ten Online Neighbourhood Watch Groups that allow people to discuss local crime trends and share information over the internet as well as allowing Police to issue real time warnings to members; and,
  • Creating a specialist team of Community Intelligence Information Officers based at Police Assistance Line locations to analyse crime data for Local Area Commands and Neighbourhood Watch groups.

Liberal Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres said that when the State Labor Government abandoned Neighbourhood Watch they threw the baby out with the bathwater.

“I want to see the link between Police and the Penrith community strengthened and am pleased our policy to bring the Neighbourhood Watch Program into the 21st Century will provide the tools the program needs to meet a changing world,” Mr Ayres said.

“To deliver safer streets in our community I will be fighting for our region to join the areas where the Online Neighbourhood Watch Group is piloted.

\”Only the NSW Liberals & Nationals have the positive and practical plans that engage the community, encourage common sense crime prevention, and support frontline Police,” Mr Ayres said.

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Stuart Ayres - Member for Penrith

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