26 April 2002 E-m@iler Watch hailed a success in bid to fight crime Police Force, Neighbourhood Watch and Amstrad celebrate one year of virtual crime fighting communities Amstrad, the Police force and Neighbourhood Watch today celebrated the one year anniversary of the much acclaimed Em@iler Watch scheme being put into action. The scheme which uses Amstrad Em@iler home phone and email devices to provide an intelligence network between Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators and the Police Force has reaped rewards for the Police and the community alike. The state–of–the-art email technology has revolutionised Neighbourhood Watch schemes across the UK providing an effective communication tool and proving to be an invaluable deterrent to crime. The original pilot scheme launched by Jack Straw and Sir Alan Sugar in 2001 has helped bring down crime rates, bought communities closer together and enabled the Police to communicate directly with good samaritans in the community. The crime fighting technology has allowed Police forces to provide regular intelligence for each area including highlights of crime trends and hotspots. Neighbourhood Watch schemes now have the information to protect themselves and their surrounding community. The networks have also provided cheap and effective means for the Police to pass on any other messages out to the public including appeals for witnesses and specific crime prevention messages. The public can communicate vice - versa in a quick and cost effective way. This two-way flow of information has meant telephone calls, which have previously taken so much time, have been reduced and has ensured important messages are not missed. The Em@iler Watch scheme originally linked 62 Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators with the Lancashire police and has since gone on to link Humberside and Merseyside Police Forces by installing several thousand Amstrad em@ilers into the homes of the community. Numerous would-be crimes have been eliminated as a result of the input of the scheme. Crime prevention and technology have proven an effective measure to make the public feel safe again. This success combined with community appreciation has inspired other Police Forces to follow suit and several other Police Forces are due to implement the scheme in the foreseeable future. The Amstrad Em@iler has proved the ideal tool to aid crime prevention. The state of the art digital telephone answering machine allows the user to send and receive emails as well as send SMS text messages to mobile phones and send faxes. It is the cheapest and most effective way to send email without the need for expensive personal computers and therefore the ideal product to compliment such a scheme. The simplicity of the device means that Neighborhood Watch members of all ages and backgrounds are able to get to grips with the technology. Simon Sugar, Amstrad Commercial Director, said: ‘Email provides the ideal method for Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators to communicate simply and effectively with both the police and one another. The em@iler is the ideal product to facilitate such a scheme, as it is small, easy to use and cost effective. As part of Amstrad?s commitment to ‘Getting Britain Emailing’ I am delighted to be involved in such a revolutionary scheme and see the em@iler put to such good use.’ Jack Straw, former Home Secretary said, “ The Em@iler Watch scheme provides a perfect example of how email technology can be used to improve the flow of information and intelligence in a bid to decrease crime. The idea is that the more we communicate – the more information we can share – the more we can prevent and detect crime” Chief Constable Pauline Clare of the Lancashire police said, “The Em@iler watch initiative takes the Neighbourhood Watch into the 21st Century, providing us with a virtual crime watching community.” Councillor John Fareham, Chairman of the Wyke area Neighbourhood Watch committee described the scheme as “pioneering and trailblazing”. One year on, Em@iler Watch’s use of technology to fight crime has been proven to benefit everyone with the exception of the criminals. For further information please contact Andrew Bloch/Eva Sogbanmu/Gavin Lewis at Frank PR 0207 693 6999 or Gavin@frankpr.it / Andrew@frankpr.it Go to News Headlines