Last week at the station we held one of our regular "away days". It's an idea which was thought up by our inspector a few years ago and allows us to get together as a neighbourhood team two or three times a year to discuss issues ranging from work-related problems to issues with our stationery supply.

It also allows us to catch up on the latest legislation affecting our roles and occasionally we invite internal and external visitors along who can bring something to the table that enhances our roles or profiles out on the street.

It was during the latest away day that we were informed that with the help of their respective beat managers, our police community support officers (PCSOs) would be tasked with increasing, maintaining and enhancing the Neighbourhood Watches on their respective beats, a job that has in the past been carried out by the Neighbourhood Watch coordinator employed by the force, and assisted by ourselves.

The thinking behind this is to give members of the public who volunteer to assist their local police a better level of service and make them feel part of the team. Some PCSOs had already been doing this, but for others it would be a somewhat new experience.

A few days later, at a local residents' meeting, we seized the bull by the horn. When discussions concerning anti-social behaviour and crime-related problems were being raised by the residents, some of whom blamed the perceived lack of police action in tackling the issues, I threw the ball back in their court. I said: "OK, let's form a Neighbourhood Watch."

I explained that people's perception of what a Neighbourhood Watch is all about may be a little disjointed or discoloured, and that it was no longer considered to be run by nosey neighbours with twitching curtains, or consist of residents like those portrayed in the film Hot Fuzz.

In fact, it normally means that residents would be doing nothing different than they normally do. For example, when I go away on holiday, I tell some of my neighbours, so I feel safe in the knowledge that they will keep an eye on the house while I am away. To return the favour, if I learn of a spate of crime in my area, I tell my neighbours so that they can be forewarned, no different to anyone else.

In fact, through a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator, residents get regular crime updates, a monthly newsletter, regular visits from PCSOs and a telephone messaging service informing them of specific crime-related incidents in their area.

All we ask is that this information is passed onto the residents in the watch, and that can be done during a chat over the garden fence, while en route to the local newsagents or during a chance meeting while walking the dog.

Some residents hold quarterly meetings, which we attend, and others never have meetings. So you see there is no particular format to adhere to, it's your watch to manage as you feel fit.

There are literally hundreds of watches in the Bristol East area alone, each helping to enhance the quality of life in their respective neighbourhoods and assisting the police in the battle against crime.

Couple this with the fact that some insurance companies give discounts to houses covered by watches, and some local firms give discounts to people who hold a Neighbourhood Watch membership card, surely everyone's a winner.

Contact your local police station to find out more information, and look out for a PCSO watch recruiting drive in your area.