Voluntary action in rural areas: the case of neighbourhood watch |
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| Institution: | 1. Geography Division, Worcester College of Higher Education, Henwick Grove, Worcester WR2 6AJ, U.K.;2. University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3DB, U.K.;1. Immunology Division, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1H 5N4;2. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;1. Institute of Marine Resources, Faculty of Science, Technology & Environment, Private Bag, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji;2. Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD, 4558, Australia |
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| Abstract: | This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation into active Neighbourhood Watch (NW) Schemes in Hereford and Worcester: an area which has experienced a rise in both crime rate and the number of active NW Schemes in the last ten years. The example of NW is used to examine the effectiveness of voluntary action to tackle social problems in rural areas and to consider the changing nature of social relations found there. More specifically, the study of these schemes allows an assessment to be made of the impact and nature of crime in rural areas and measures the effectiveness of NW in countering it. The paper reveals that NW does have an important role to play in reducing fear of crime and improving police relations. It confirms that NW operates with considerable social bias which is a recognised problem associated with voluntary action. The final discussion highlights the need for more systematic studies of the problem of rural crime. |
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