A CRIME-busting scheme launched in Newquay to get every street signed up to Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) has already been supported by more than 80 people in the town.
A chief police officer in France, who visited the resort last week, was so impressed by the initiative that he is going to adopt the scheme in his own town.
The NHW scheme has been launched at the resort in a bid to crack down on burglaries in the town and so far 82 volunteers have signed up to help take it forward.
At the start of the initiative, only 56 of Newquay's 300 streets were covered by NHW – just 18 per cent.
Together with the new 82 postboxes, Newquay now has 138 streets with either NHW or which have started the process to join NHW by establishing a 'postbox'.
Alan Alsters, assistant chief of Dinard police municipal in northern France, said the initiative, which has already proved a success, had "great potential" for his town.
He visited Newquay as part of a three-day tour of the town and surrounding area.
Newquay inspector Dave Meredith said: "On this visit Alan has been updated on Surf Watch, Hotel Watch and the new Neighbourhood Watch programme at Newquay. He was especially interested in our continuing roll-out of NHW and thinks it has great potential for Dinard."
Dinard police have already adopted several Newquay police initiatives, such as a CCTV system which goes live in Dinard next week, a shop watch initiative and stab vests of the same design as Devon and Cornwall Police are to be issued to Dinard officers.
A 'postbox' – a volunteer resident who identifies the level of interest in starting a scheme in a particular street must be identified for every street that does not yet have NHW.
They will work with the NHW office at Newquay to help identify coordinators, deputies and future NHW members.
Inspector Dave Meredith said he hoped the crime-busting initiative would drive down burglary statistics in the town and leave thieves with nowhere to operate.
"This is an incredible result in a seven-week period.
"Considerable work has gone into rolling out this groundbreaking initiative.
"I would like to express my particular thanks to the NHW volunteers at Newquay police station for their tireless work, and also the police officers of Newquay who have worked long hours on their beat areas.
"The results to date speak volumes for the community spirit in Newquay, and the desire for the town's residents to embrace a modern, internet-based NHW system that will dynamically and efficiently keep them in touch with their local police team."
For the next few weeks the Cornish Guardian will publish a table, similar to the one shown here, detailing which areas need NHW members and postboxes.
Anyone wishing to set up a NHW in their street and become a postbox is asked to get in touch via e-mail at CIOSNBMNEWQUAY@devonand cornwall.pnn.police.uk
