Play your part in tackling crime

Officers from the town’s Safer Neighbourhood team held a series of events to highlight Neighbourhood Watch Week.

PCSOs Glen Caddy and Mark Wodarek-Black spent a morning in the town centre talking to people about how to get involved with Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

They also tried to get the message out about the new Dorset Alert scheme, an online site that aims to provide access to messaging and information reporting facilities.

PCSO Caddy said: “It went very well. We have had lots of people come up and sign up for the Neighbourhood Watch and we’ve been telling them about the new Dorset Alert Scheme.

“We have been giving out free bits and pieces like purse chains and bells and just giving out general crime prevention advice.

“It’s been quite busy and if people have got any concerns they have been able to raise them with us and we will follow that up.”

PCSO Wodarek-Black said the week of events was part of a high profile national campaign to raise awareness about Neighbourhood Watch schemes and other ways that the local community could get involved in supporting the work of the police.

He said: “We are trying to get as many people on board as possible because these people are the eyes and ears of the police and working together is far more successful.”

PCSO Wodarek-Black said they were also able to inform people about the different ways that they can get information from the police including Twitter and Facebook as well as more traditional ways for people that do not use those methods.

During the week officers also held a community engagement surgery at Dorchester Library for people to come and raise any concerns. At the weekend they teamed up with home watch leads and members of the Dorchester Crime Prevention Panel for an awareness event at SCATS Countrystores at the Grove.

As well as access to crime prevention advice and details of the Neighbourhood Watch and Dorset Alert schemes, shoppers were also able to take advantage of a free tack marking service.