THERE are around 2,000 Neighbourhood Watch groups scattered across Swindon and Wiltshire.
And until this summer the man responsible for overseeing them was Mike Davidson.
The former chairman of Wiltshire Neighbourhood Watch stepped down six years after taking up the mantle – and a dozen or so years on from his first stint on the Codford watch group.
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Mr Davidson was last night presented with a certificate of appreciation at Wiltshire Police’s awards night.
Over the 12 years he has been involved in the watch schemes, Mr Davidson said crime was shifting slightly – with more of a focus on cyber crime and phone scammers.
But the appetite for Neighbourhood Watch was growing: “People moving into new build estates are very keen to get to know their neighbours.”
Watch groups were turning to online forums like Facebook to advertise their activities and warn people of local crimes. But Mr Davidson said there would always be a place for the old-fashioned approach: “While there are still people in our communities who don’t have a computer or don’t like using them we will always have a physical presence – which is so vital to those people.”
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Mr Davidson’s certificate of appreciation citation read: “His hard work has made a real and positive difference to the Neighbourhood Watch programme over the years – including the introduction and successful roll-out of Community Messaging to Wiltshire and Swindon.
“On becoming chairman in 2013, at a time when support for Neighbourhood Watch was declining, it was Mike’s passion and commitment to the scheme which ensured that strong foundations were put in place to secure the continued operation of this essential voluntary service.
“Mike’s commitment has helped to build stronger local communities and helped to keep Wiltshire a caring and safe place to live.”
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