Bognor Watch members quit over 'poor treatment' by police

The volunteer crime-busters walked away in protest at the way the organisation is being treated.

Bognor Regis Police Sector Neighbourhood Watch Association chairman Roger Nash told its annual meeting: "Quite a few of our long-established area and street co-ordinators have resigned. Replacing them has been very difficult."

He did not specify the numbers of those who have left but their loss is being keenly felt among the watch membership.

Many of those who remain are equally critical of the police's current attitude to them.

They queued up to attack the present state of relations after a shake-up in the links between the two organisations. Typical of those who spoke out at last Thursday'smeeting at Felpham Community College to state their views was John Hignett, the street co-ordinator for Roundle Square and surrounding roads in Felpham for about ten years.

"Apart from one newsletter at the start of the year, I've had nothing from the police whatsoever.

"The word on the street is that Neighbourhood Watch is dead or dying. I think that's regrettable. Those that are here know that's not the case," he commented.

"But the attitude of the police towards Neighbourhood Watch is shown by the fact that there are no senior officers present.

"When I first became a street co-ordinator, there was always a senior officer who found the time to attend these meetings. This question of a lack of communication now is very, very serious indeed.

"We were handed a re-organisation we didn't want. We pointed out the likely consequences and those consequences are now coming home to roost.

"It's the failure we said it would be and, if the police are serious about Neighbourhood Watch, they must do something about it very quickly."

Mr Nash said everyone was well aware of the difficulty of communications between Neighbourhood Watch and the police in the current arrangements.

"It's a problem but we are trying to work our way through it. We do need to work on it very quickly because it's a serious issue," he said.

He summed up the past year as being a difficult one for Neighbourhood Watch around Bognor because of the widespread changes by the Sussex Police Authority.

It decided to get rid of crime prevention officers who worked closely with Neighbourhood Watch on April 1.

Their duties were intended to be replaced by the police's neighbourhood specialist team and, especially, the police community support officers.

"We did have a system of regular magazines but, because of the cost and the changes, that has had to stop.

"We are working hard with the police to make sure new methods of communication will be delivered and they will be as effective as before," said Mr Nash.

Inspector Sharon Parker, of the Arun neighbourhood specialist team, took the brunt of the complaints as the most senior police officer present.

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