“The community supporting the community … that’s where its strength is”: exploring the contemporary position of Neighbourhood Watch in the United Kingdom

Purpose Neighbourhood Watch is a voluntary movement which brings people together with the aim of creating safer, stronger and more active communities. This paper aims to explore the contemporary position of Neighbourhood Watch in the UK through three key themes: the focus of Neighbourhood Watch schemes and how this extends beyond crime; Neighbourhood Watch membership and efforts to expand this beyond traditional residential boundaries; and the operation of Neighbourhood Watch, with a particular focus on technology-enabled methods. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on data generated through interviews with key stakeholders working in the field of Neighbourhood Watch ( n = 7) and interviews ( n = 7) and two focus groups with Watch volunteers ( n = 5) in the United Kingdom (UK). Findings Findings highlight aspects of Neighbourhood Watch that have remained the same – most notably the initial “roots” of schemes which have always looked beyond crime to tackle issues of health and well-being. In addition, issues of scale and diversity continue to present challenges within membership. However, there have also been changes, in particular the use of technology and moves to a model which offers more flexibility in terms of Neighbourhood Watch membership. Originality/value Findings position contemporary Neighbourhood Watch as a responsive and adaptable model; however, they also highlight how this must operate alongside traditional face-to-face, in-person methods to achieve meaningful community engagement.