Watch scheme has helped slash crime
Hard work pays off
A neighbourhood watch project now celebrating its 21st year is responsible for the positive turnaround of a Rutherglen housing scheme.
Manor Way and Area neighbourhood watch, which covers 550 households in the High Burnside area, has gone from strength to strength over the years.
Ahead of their general meeting this coming Monday, the neighbourhood watch committee revealed its organisation now has 497 members and 26 street coordinators.
However, the organisation’s treasurer Frank Conway warned his neighbours to stay vigilant and not get complacent in order to keep crime at bay.
In a letter recently circulated to residents, he wrote: “Back in 1995-97, there were many house break-ins in the area, a drugs den in bushes in Larchfield Drive, a kidnapping on Crawfurd Road in October 1995, regular reports of bogus callers in the area and graffiti all over the place.
“Now in 2018, how things have changed for the better.
“House break-ins are few and far between, the drugs den is away, bogus callers get reported to police and many arrests and prosecutions have been made, and no graffiti to report.
“Therefore the future of High Burnside is in the hands of its residents to ensure that the neighbourhood watch keeps active because if the watch was ever allowed to lapse, many such areas have returned to crimeridden places.”
The annual general meeting is taking place in Burnside/Blairbeth Church hall on Church Avenue, beginning at 7.30pm on Monday.
Ward councillors and community police have been invited to attend.
The average attendance at these meetings in recent years is around 60.