www.havering.gov.uk/living | MARCH 2018 | 23
Sally Miller
Havering Street Watch out on a patrol in Emerson Park. From L to R: Richard Sunnucks, Jeff Long, PC Ed Zoltan, Sally Miller and Mayuri Raja (Havering Council).
Watching your streets Sally Miller is the Coordinator for Havering Street Watch. It’s an organisation that currently has 28 volunteers covering eight wards in the borough. “Havering Street Watch is run for the community in partnership with the Metropolitan Police. We are all local volunteers who have come together to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in our local community where we live and work. As part of our patrols we also report incidences of fly tipping or street lights not working to the Council. We are a good set of eyes and ears!” says Sally. Sally took over from a police officer. “We have a constitution and management committee so that we can raise funds that we use to provide our street patrols with high visibility vests, pocket books, torches and panic attack alarms and also to provide training. We have recently been fortunate enough to also be given MOPAC (the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) funding to cover some of the equipment we use. “We meet regularly with police officers, who advise us about crime trends and the work being done within the borough to help reduce crime. As a group we also receive training on various subjects such as drug awareness, first aid training and counter terrorism
training. When we are on patrol our role is to observe and not to be “have a go” heroes. If we see something suspicious or dangerous we contact the police or Havering Council." In recent months Street Watch patrols discovered a stolen moped in Hornchurch Country Park and were able to re-unite it with its owner. Sally previously worked for Veolia North Thames Trust and first got involved with Street Watch when she was a neighbourhood watch coordinator. When the Met Police decided to roll out Street Watch she volunteered her time to be the borough’s coordinator, as it gave her the chance for more face-to-face time with fellow volunteers. Last year she spent over 200 hours volunteering focussing on recruiting volunteers, scheduling and arranging routes for patrols, or making presentations about Street Watch’s work and running street stalls. Sally is always looking for new volunteers for Street Watch to help with their patrols and fundraising.
If you would like to volunteer or donate, please contact Sally Miller on 07934 372674 or email swhavering@btinternet.com for further information.
Havering Street Watch currently covers these wards: • Elm Park • Emerson Park • Squirrels heath • Hylands • Upminster • Cranham • Hacton • Gooshays