Public Engagement in the Fight Against Heritage Crime. Developing Heritage Watch Schemes in England and Wales

Heritage Watch is a community based, volunteer led initiative aimed at protecting historic places from 'heritage crime' – offences that harm historic assets. It is a low-cost initiative, coordinated by the UK Government's heritage protection body – Historic England. It enables the public to partner with statutory organisations to prevent crime by facilitating the effective exchange of intelligence between participants. Introduced in 2012 as an adjunct to Neighbourhood Watch, it is now established in 18 of the 43 police force areas in England and Wales. This paper describes examples of the scheme in operation;supporting the criminological evidence for the preventative effect of 'collective efficacy' and community involvement in assessing crime risks and implementing counter-measures. This approach is congruent with present Government priorities to tackle crime through a 'Safer Streets Mission' and an enhanced emphasis on Neighbourhood Policing. The paper examines future opportunities to expand the scheme – geographically and in response to new crime threats. It also highlights the future opportunity for schemes to be used to address other potential harms to historic assets, such as fire or climate effects. As well as examining the public benefits of Heritage Watch, the paper concludes by noting the potential collateral benefits to volunteers.