Neighbours

There are good neighbours, that is families having frequent and friendly intercommunication with each other. There are good neighbours in a bad neighbourhood. This means that families living near each other have good relations in spite of the rest of the community being rather off-hand or downright troublesome. Just as there are 'indifferent neighbours'. These do not fit exactly into the term of neighbourhood. The Italian word vicinato is more accurate in this context. Then buon vicinato signifies neighbourhood in the good, familiar sense.

Neighbourhood can be a locality with families living without friendly association between them. These had better be termed 'independent family units'. On the other hand there can be a community that is sociable and friendly as befits neighbours.

There is a proverb saying that there one can live without friends but not without neighbours. How good or bad or indifferent these neighbours are depends on circumstances or attitudes. A solitary person, sometimes called 'loner', need not be an enemy or of a hostile disposition. The worst that could describe such a person is that he does not befriend others. He just keeps himself to himself.

A good neighbourhood can and most often does act as an active and co-operative community. Its main objective and aim is mutual help. They may have a social club. Its activities may be both of a charitable nature as well as recreational.

Giving a helping hand to those who need it is a charitable activity. Those in need may be living in the locality or neighbourhood or in the same country, Or else they may be living in other lands that may be hit by disasters such as famine, or disease or lack of rain. Or else people in a 'mission' land and there is need of a school, a hospital or a church.

There may be a prayer group which meets as a community that prays collectively and holds Bible reading and explanation sessions. They may hold discussions on religious or liturgical problems.

Crime prevention

A crime-prone locality is certainly not an ideal neighbourhood, especially if nothing is done to remedy the state of affairs. There may be widespread drug addiction and/or trafficking with the corresponding crimes of theft. People living in such a neighbourhood certainly require help either from the police or some voluntary institution such as neighbourhood watch scheme. Otherwise the locality may develop into a slum with hygiene problems. This in turn leads to problems for cleanliness and healthy practices or thinking.

A law-abiding community may be hit by sporadic instances of petty theft, such as stealing stereos from cars. Before crime can become more serious measures must be taken to control or lessen, if not exactly to prevent, proliferation of crime. Petty theft can escalate into burglary. Violence would compound even into mugging.

Such a situation would call for establishing a neighbourhood watch scheme. This organisation in effect requires the collaboration of citizens with the police. Methods used by thieves have become so sophisticated that the police must have information from outside sources.

A small group of people could meet to organise the scheme. The initiative for this meeting could come either from the citizens themselves or from the police if urgency requires it. The essentials are friendliness, co-operation and solidarity within the community.

The main task of neighbourhoood watch is to be on the lookout for persons acting suspiciously in the locality. Strangers sitting in a car that is not normally seen round the locality are more likely than not suspected of plotting a hold-up or illegal entry. Members of the watch would have to note down details of the car such as the number plate, make and colour. A description of the suspect persons would help the police in their investigation.

The time and circumstances of the suspected conduct would also be of immense help. The information must be passed on immediately to the police. They may be in time to prevent the crime. The Crime Prevention Officer at the district station would have to take swift action to send the mobile squad to the place.

If the crime is committed before the police arrive the details noted could be of immense help in identifying the culprits.

Victim support

The commission of crimes always leaves victims. In most cases victims are in need of immediate help. Victims can be helped if there is a Victim Support Scheme already in operation.

This is a purely voluntary organisation. It could provide immediate help if it is made aware of the crime soon after it is committed. The police could otherwise inform the scheme group that help was needed. The help required may be in the long term too. In such a situation a doctor or a nurse, who are members of the group, could help. A lawyer or legal procurator, again members of the scheme, may be needed to advise the victims, especially if they are going to court for the first time.

Other persons needed on the scheme would be a carpenter for immediate repairs to door and windows through which the criminals entered, as well as a ssocial worker to take care of children while the mother is in a state of shock.

Neighbourhood Watch and Victim Support Schemes can only succeed if there is the will of neighbours to collaborate with and help the police. Such co-operation and collaboration will lead eventually to a crime-free area. Therefore life in that locality would be care-free and serene.