South Yorkshire People United Against Crime - Portfolio of Activities 1998

South Yorkshire People United Against Crime

In Partnership With

This ambitious project produced 800 security marking kits, along with the necessary instructions to householders as to how to mark high value items in the home. Marking property acts as a deterrent and makes the identification of recovered property much more straightforward.

The kits were distributed to public libraries throughout the county. Making the kits available via the libraries meant they could be used time and time again, much like borrowing a book. Monitoring indicated a total of 7,500 householders took advantage of the scheme.

People United Against Crime produced and circulated a full-colour leaflet to every home in the county warning of distraction burglary.

Distribution of the leaflet coincided with the production of a shart play illustrating how bogus callers trick their way into homes, which was taken round to lunch clubs and other meetings for the elderly.

People United Against Crime produced 250,000 stickers for distribution by the police and other partners.

Sponsored by Solaglass, the stickers carried two messages. One half for display outside a house. The other part of the sticker was for display inside the house, to act as a constant reminder to the householder to always ask for identification and 'if in doubt keep them out'

In 1998 there were over 3,500 separate Neighbourhood Watch Schemes across the county. People United Against Crime received funding from the Police Authority to organise these disparate and unconnected groups into a county-wide association.

The project was overseen by People United Against Crime until the newly independent South Yorkshire Neighbourhood Watch Association moved into its own offices in Rotherham. The Association continues to thrive and lead the Neighbourhood Watch movement in South Yorkshire.