OWL, which stands for Online Watch Link, is a Neighbourhood Watch scheme designed for the digital age. Writing for Caerphilly Observer, its community co-ordinator Tracy Paddock explains her role and how OWL works to keep residents up-to-date on crime issues.
OWL is a free community website that’s run by volunteers with the police having access to send out messages along with some other agencies.
By being a member of OWL you get to find out what’s going on in your local area – anything from the latest scams to burglaries. We also promote community events like fétes and coffee mornings.
The volunteers that help run OWL are co-ordinators from street level to wards and then community co-ordinator – which is my role.
I actually in some parts do all three, I’m street co-ordinator for some streets, I’m ward co-ordinator for several wards and I’m community co-ordinator for the whole of Caerphilly County Borough.
As part of my role I put new members on the system and I put out messages. I basically oversee that things are running okay while also answering phone queries and email queries, hopefully helping people who have contacted me.
To sign up to OWL is totally free. You can receive messages by phone, text or email but we find email is easier. To become a member all we need is your full name, your address including post code, a home phone and mobile number and your email address.
We do prefer to have both phone numbers as a point of contact and for those wondering, no one has access to your contact details, just me as community co-ordinator, your street co-ordinator if different from me, your ward co-ordinator, again if different from me, the police and the chair of the neighbourhood watch association.
You’ll never have cold callers from OWL and we don’t sell your details to anyone. We’d only phone you if there’s something wrong with your email address or if the email system has gone down.
So come on if you’ve not already signed up to this fantastic free service to receive information about your area.
Send me, Tracy Paddock, your contact details to – welshhobbit@tesco.net or just go to the website and enter all your details.
I’ll register you on the system and you’ll start receiving information about your local area as soon as a message goes out.
• To sign up visit www.owl.co.uk