Nowadays you see it everywhere, signs with neighborhood prevention, or neighborhood group to deter potential ‘gear’. The volunteers of neighborhood prevention in yellow vest, together with the local community police officers and BOA’s held a walking tour through the village on Tuesday evening.
A group of about ten people gathers in the Lantern. All of them can be recognized from afar by their clothing, reflective vests with neighborhood prevention on them and blue uniforms with large white letters that spell HANDAVING. Only the local police officers are dressed in civilian clothes, but that also makes them stand out more quickly.
Neighborhood prevention
The evening is dedicated to neighborhood prevention, to bring residents and to inform them about safety in the neighborhood. Only the heat and problems with the ‘advertising’ ensure that no one comes to mind. However, those present did not get out of the way and the evening turns into an extra training for the neighborhood prevention members.
The two community police officers in safety vest, Fred van Postal and Johan Damen, supervise the group. In every possible situation, an explanation is given about what can happen or how they would act. For example, the group stops a few times at a car where the window is open or an easy access a burglar can use. Yet Perry Sep, coordinator of the volunteer group, had hoped for more participants. It is just very important for the neighborhood and we would have liked to see more ‘potential members”, says Sep. The group now consists of 26 volunteers, all help is welcome and we can use it well. ”
The local police and the BOAs would also like to have seen more people. According to them, neighborhood prevention has become almost indispensable. ,, They are extra eyes in the field, ” said the local boarder. “We, the local police and I, are only three of us. It is impossible to keep an eye on everything. Those extra eyes are then just very important for our work. ”
Johan, community agent Snit, noticed how important this aid could be, shortly after setting up the group. “Less than 24 hours after the group app was in the air, someone had reported a pencil vendor in the area. 20 minutes later the conscious man was sitting in the van in the direction of the desk”, says Damien. So you see how important a neighborhood prevention can be, that is great!” That is mainly the task of neighborhood prevention. That is also the reason why I do this, you do something about it ”, says Marian in reflective clothing. “Everyone complains about everything, or they sometimes see what happens. However, it often stops there. You can also choose to do something with it.
Of all neighborhood prevention groups in the municipality of Ruche, that of Snit is the youngest of the couple. It started as a very small club of five or six men. It took more than a year before it slowly grew, “says the coordinator of the group. However, it is still difficult to recruit new members in the village.” According to the group, you should not make it bigger than it is. We only signal and help to make the neighborhood a little safer, but we are not scapegoats.”