The purpose of Vecinos Cooperando (VC) is to prevent crime in our neighbourhood by reducing the opportunities for the criminal. Should a crime occur, we help our neighbours and cooperate with the Police to provide information in order to bring the offenders to justice in accordance with Spanish law.
A coordinator will act as a point of contact for as many of his/her immediate neighbours as the coordinator wishes to act for. Consider recruiting another neighbour to assist you and to act as your deputy when you are not available.
As a coordinator, you will attend a meeting (usually monthly and lasting about 1 hour) with other coordinators. You will receive the latest crime information for your neighbourhood and practical advice on how to prevent crime. You will also get Newsletters and other printed matter to distribute to your neighbours. Note: Do not leave them in the doors or gates of properties as this advertises the fact that no one is home!
In between meetings, you will receive alerts and the latest information - usually by email. In some rare but urgent cases an 'information cascade' is done by telephone. If necessary, you will pass this information on to your neighbours.
All coordinators and their neighbours are encouraged to get to know each other so that strangers, who may be criminals, can be more easily identified and reported to the Police for further investigation. We do NOT patrol the streets. We are only extra eyes for the Police and the good of our community.
The main advice to everyone is: If you see someone, who you believe is doing something illegal, call 112 to report it. There are operators available on this number who speak Spanish, English and German. Without putting yourself in danger - try to get the registration number of any vehicle they may be using and/or a description of the person - especially any scars or tattoos.
If you see someone, who is behaving suspiciously, (i.e. your 'instinct' tells you that their behaviour is not 'normal') - keep watching them, without putting yourself at risk, to see if they do approach a neighbours property. Note their details (as at 5 above) along with the date, time and location they were seen. Neighbours should pass this information on to the Coordinator for their area and the Coordinator should then pass it on to the Lead Coordinator or his Deputy. Under the Data Protection Act you must believe this information to be accurate. This information will be assessed in conjunction with information provided by other Coordinators and the Police. It is passed on to the relevant authorities or stored for a short time pending any future developments.
There is NO EXCUSE for disturbing any Coordinator at unsocial hours of the night. If it is so urgent that you need to wake someone up - you need to be calling the emergency services on 112! We recommend that you stress this to all of your neighbours and place a letterbox outside your home so that information can be passed to you with the minimum disruption to your gentle life in Spain.
Please read the Crime Prevention Booklet and act on the advice it gives. Complete the "Checklist in the Event of a Burglary or Theft" and encourage your neighbours to do the same. Consider collecting emergency contact numbers for everyone you represent.
Your area will be given Vecinos Cooperando signage to show that you are participating in the scheme. This is a major deterrent to criminals as they don't like the possibility of being seen and reported to the Police!
REMEMBER ALWAYS .......... VECINOS COOPERANDO ........... WE WATCH OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD - NOT OUR NEIGHBOUR
A coordinator will act as a point of contact for as many of his/her immediate neighbours as the coordinator wishes to act for. Consider recruiting another neighbour to assist you and to act as your deputy when you are not available.
As a coordinator, you will attend a meeting (usually monthly and lasting about 1 hour) with other coordinators. You will receive the latest crime information for your neighbourhood and practical advice on how to prevent crime. You will also get Newsletters and other printed matter to distribute to your neighbours. Note: Do not leave them in the doors or gates of properties as this advertises the fact that no one is home!
In between meetings, you will receive alerts and the latest information - usually by email. In some rare but urgent cases an 'information cascade' is done by telephone. If necessary, you will pass this information on to your neighbours.
All coordinators and their neighbours are encouraged to get to know each other so that strangers, who may be criminals, can be more easily identified and reported to the Police for further investigation. We do NOT patrol the streets. We are only extra eyes for the Police and the good of our community.
The main advice to everyone is: If you see someone, who you believe is doing something illegal, call 112 to report it. There are operators available on this number who speak Spanish, English and German. Without putting yourself in danger - try to get the registration number of any vehicle they may be using and/or a description of the person - especially any scars or tattoos.
If you see someone, who is behaving suspiciously, (i.e. your 'instinct' tells you that their behaviour is not 'normal') - keep watching them, without putting yourself at risk, to see if they do approach a neighbours property. Note their details (as at 5 above) along with the date, time and location they were seen. Neighbours should pass this information on to the Coordinator for their area and the Coordinator should then pass it on to the Lead Coordinator or his Deputy. Under the Data Protection Act you must believe this information to be accurate. This information will be assessed in conjunction with information provided by other Coordinators and the Police. It is passed on to the relevant authorities or stored for a short time pending any future developments.
There is NO EXCUSE for disturbing any Coordinator at unsocial hours of the night. If it is so urgent that you need to wake someone up - you need to be calling the emergency services on 112! We recommend that you stress this to all of your neighbours and place a letterbox outside your home so that information can be passed to you with the minimum disruption to your gentle life in Spain.
Please read the Crime Prevention Booklet and act on the advice it gives. Complete the "Checklist in the Event of a Burglary or Theft" and encourage your neighbours to do the same. Consider collecting emergency contact numbers for everyone you represent.
Your area will be given Vecinos Cooperando signage to show that you are participating in the scheme. This is a major deterrent to criminals as they don't like the possibility of being seen and reported to the Police!
REMEMBER ALWAYS .......... VECINOS COOPERANDO ........... WE WATCH OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD - NOT OUR NEIGHBOUR
For Co-ordinators
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2
3
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5
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9
10
Application to become a Co-ordinator
Click here for the reader of your choice
Click on the PDF icon for the document you want to read or download
Application to become a Co-ordinator
Application to become a Co-ordinator
Emergency Telephone
112 (free)
112 (free)
Spanish, English and German spoken in many areas
Vecinos Cooperando
Neighbourhood Watch
Nachbarschaftswacht
Neighbourhood Watch
Nachbarschaftswacht
