What is Neighbourhood Watch?

Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) is both a philosophy and an approach to working together as a community to reduce crime and enhance community safety. NHW has been operating in Queensland since 1988.

Neighbourhood Watch Queensland (NHWQ) encourages communities to join together in small informal groups for the purpose of improving the safety of their families and other people who live, visit and do business in their neighbourhood. It also encourages interaction and a shared sense of responsibility between individuals, neighbours and communities for preventing and reducing crime.

Traditionally NHWQ has focused on improving home security, reducing the fear of crime and reporting suspicious activity to police. As NHWQ has evolved, groups have become involved in broader community safety issues - working together to identify and address local problems that may not involve crime.

NHWQ has been successful in building community cohesion and improving relationships between neighbours which assists in reducing crime and the fear of crime. It has a very strong and committed volunteer base and is an Internationally well-recognised and established symbol within the community.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is committed to working in partnership with the community and greatly appreciates the outstanding contribution that the many NHWQ groups and volunteers make for a safer and more secure Queensland.

The vision of NHWQ is:

Strong and Connected Queensland Communities

The mission of NHWQ is to:

Encourage individuals, families, businesses and communities to work together to reduce crime and improve community safety.

NHWQ values:

• Volunteerism
• Diversity
• Partnerships,
• Accountability and transparency