Want to volunteer in your community and help reduce crime?

Volunteering is a simple route to gaining valuable experience working with a range of organisations in a community safety partnership.

As part of the Leeds Year of Volunteering, throughout the month of September there will be a focus on volunteering opportunities to promote a safer Leeds. Apart from the community benefits, volunteering is also a great learning opportunity.

Are you interested in community safety? Would you like to help people in your neighbourhood prevent break-ins and car crime? Do you think you have the skills to talk to disengaged young people to help them choose alternatives to getting involved with crime? If so, there are lots of opportunities during September to help you get started.

Lots of people already volunteer to help keep places and people in Leeds safe. Volunteer wardens, special constables and neighbourhood watch schemes are all examples of where local volunteers work with the police and others to fight crime and allay people's fears about crime.

If you are interested in finding out more about the opportunities that exist in this area of volunteering, come along to our marketplace event on Briggate in the city centre on Thursday, 16 September, 10am to 4pm. Organisations such as Street Chaplains, Stop Hate, Victim Support, Neighbourhood Watch, police specials and police volunteers will be there to talk to would-be volunteers about how they can get involved in making Leeds an even safer place for everyone.

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, executive board member with responsibility for the 2010 Leeds Year of Volunteering said:
“We know that, despite falling levels in recent years, crime is still something that concerns the people of Leeds, and reducing crime and disorder is a key way of improving quality of life for residents.

“Obviously, the police have a major role in this, but its also really important that residents do their bit to show the small minority of trouble causers that their behaviour is not acceptable. Leeds is lucky to have lots of people already engaged in supporting the work of the police and other crime reducing agencies, but we’re always looking for more people to get involved.

“The marketplace event is a great opportunity for residents to find out how they can get involved in making our communities safer for everyone.”

Volunteer opportunities
West Yorkshire Police has recently launched a major recruitment drive to encourage volunteers into the service to undertake additional duties to those performed by police officers, police staff and the Special Constabulary. These include:
• Assisting with minor investigative work;
• Help desk support, eg telephone answering, public reception;
• Opening police offices, community points and one stop shops;
• Supporting CCTV operators at times of high demand and monitoring CCTV tapes;
• Divisional administration, eg clerical tasks including filing, photocopying, typing, inputting data on to crime systems, etc;
• Divisional neighbourhood policing support, eg quality of service checks;
• Local policing department, eg community projects;
• Mounted section, eg care of horses and equipment;
• Marketing and media – promotion of organisation;
• Training and development centre, eg. training of staff; and
• Operations support division, eg. countryside wildlife officers.

The police want to attract volunteers who reflect their local community, and are looking for people aged 16 and above who are enthusiastic, have an interest in their community and have suitable skills and abilities. If you would like more information please contact headquarters recruitment on 01924 292084, call at your local police station, or visit http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/?Page=30|Volunteers+in+Policing

Victim Support need volunteers to work with victims of crime in the community. Volunteers are trained to support victims until they feel strong enough to move forward themselves. You'll listen to their concerns and possibly liaise with other agencies to make sure that their needs are met.

Volunteers also support witnesses going to court, which can be a daunting and scary experience. You'll be trained to deal sensitively with both defence and prosecution witnesses to provide them with a friendly face, support and information during a trial. Training is also available to give very specific support to more vulnerable members of the community, such as helping young witnesses at court, or supporting victims of serious crime such as domestic abuse or sexual violence.

Victim Support also need help with administration and fundraising. You don’t need qualifications or previous experience of this kind of work to volunteer for Victim Support. All you need is a willingness to help and a little time. For further information please contact the area office on 01274 530554.