NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEME RELAUNCHED IN COTGRAVE

After the closure of the mine in the early 90s, the old Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) scheme in Cotgrave fell into decline because of lack of interest and the area co-ordinator moving away. Now a new Neighbourhood Watch scheme has been relaunched in Cotgrave. This was the brainchild of councillor Sarah McGinley who saw the opportunity to resurrect interest in the town because of the inroads the local police have made in the reduction of crime in the area. A new scheme would help to strengthen and maintain what they have achieved.
The initial meeting on 1st March was well attended by local residents who heard from senior police officers and other NHW organisers on the merits of such a scheme. As a result, on that evening, 13 people offered their services and were enlisted to become street reps for the scheme. After a number of weeks of looking at the geography of the town, in relation to where these volunteers lived, the individual areas allotted covered 23% of the town. The scheme has grown further and now around 30% is covered.
The police figures show a reduction in crime in Cotgrave of around 55% over the last three years and it has dropped from the top of the crime table to a position of 23rd. Crime figures are already showing a drop of 35% on last year. All this is down to the endeavours of the local police. Cotgrave Neighbourhood Watch will hopefully help and in conjunction with the police will drive crime further down the table. People in the community already feel more confident. After a recent survey 82% of residents said they now feel safer in the town. Further street reps are still needed, especially in the Ringleas area and adjoining streets. If you feel you can help please contact Sarah McGinley on 0115 989 9692 or 07941 832 409 or by email at sarahmcginley@btinternet.com.