By LUKE VOOGT
A founder of Neighbourhood Watch in Geelong is “aghast” after discovering its dramatic decline in the city.
Newcomb’s Mick Robinson helped introduce the community crime-prevention organisation to Geelong in 1983 but said most of the city’s Neighbourhood Watch branches had since folded.
A councillor for 10 years on the former Rural City of Bellarine, he helped establish branches at Newcomb, Whittington and St Albans before watching as numbers swelled to at least 10 across Geelong.
Mr Robinson blamed much of the decline on dwindling volunteer numbers.
“They’re good people but most of them are elderly,” he said.
“They’re doing their best.”
Mr Robinson said he discovered the decline when he was guest speaker at the Newcomb branch this week.
Volunteers at the meeting also revealed a loss of police support for Neighbourhood Watch, he said.
“They were saying they’re not even getting co-operation from the police anymore. Out our way they used to send a police officer out to each of the meetings.”
But Mr Robinson, a Justice of the Peace at Geelong Police Station, said criticising officers was “the last thing” he would do.
“I witness the marvellous job they do from behind the counter.”
Divisional Neighbourhood Watch police co-ordinator Leading Senior Constable Andrew King said the decline in branches reflected a trend among service clubs everywhere.
He said few young people were joining Neighbourhood Watch, leaving elderly members to conduct tasks such as parking audits.
“Most of them are in their 70s and 80s and have had to give up because of sheer lack of mobility,” Ldg Sen Const King said.
“The ones who are still around are doing some fantastic work.”
The Geelong Indy reported in 2009 and 2010 that then-Chief Commissioner Simon Overland had decided to scale back Victoria Police’s involvement in Neighbourhood Watch.
But Ldg Sen Const King said the organisation still had adequate backing from the force, with police planning new branches at North Geelong and Portarlington.
Police would seek the involvement of more young people and improve social media use to gather additional information for fighting crime, he said.
“Social media’s much more immediate than the paper model and community hall meetings.”
Drysdale launched a Neighbourhood Watch last year in response to a vicious backyard assault and multiple burglaries in the town.
Ldg Sen Const King said anyone wanting to become involved with Neighbourhood Watch could phone him on 5225 3261.
