Security

Contacting the Police

In an emergency call 999.

For all non-emergencies call 101 for Thames Valley Police.

There is a Thames Valley Police webpage which gives local information, including names and photos of police officers and information on Have Your Say events. Whitchurch is in the Henley Neighbourhood and the policing team for us is now based at Abingdon Police Station, Colwell Drive, Abingdon OX14 1AU

 Their telephone number is 101.

Neighbourhood Watch

What is it?

Neighbourhood Watch is the largest voluntary organisation in the UK, covering six million households. It is run by volunteers from the community and provides an effective way for the police and residents to work together to reduce opportunities for crime and build up a community spirit.

A successful partnership and a resulting rapport between Neighbourhood Watch groups and the police can improve the quality of life in the community, help to look after its more vulnerable members and reduce burglary and vandalism.

Whitchurch Neighbourhood Watch Groups

Neighbourhood Watch relies on people keeping an eye open and reporting anything suspicious. Even quite trivial observations can sometimes help either to avoid crime or, if it happens, to solve it.

Whitchurch on Thames Neighbourhood Watch coordinator is Keith Brooks.  Please contact Keith Brooks here.

Each Neighbourhood Watch group has a coordinator who passes on relevant police messages to group members and acts as a liaison point for sharing information. If you want to mention anything suspicious you’ve noticed in the village or to ask about something you should contact the coordinator of your group.

Form your own group

Neighbourhood Watch isn’t just about crime prevention – it’s about getting to know neighbours, helping each other and looking after the more vulnerable members of the community. If you would like to know about your group or how to form your own group, please contact Keith Brooks here.

Sign up to receive messages

Police messages about recent crimes in the area are known as "Thames Valley Alert" messages and are sent to Neighbourhood Watch coordinators. Sometimes one of these is posted as a news item on the Whitchurch web site. If you would like to receive "Thames Valley Alert" messages directly, you can register online by visiting: www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk

Financial Scams and Fraud

The Metropolitan Police have produced a fifth edition (2021) of a booklet detailing all kinds of online fraud, explaining how to keep safe and how to report scams: The Little Book of Big Scams. There is also more recent (2024) information from Which? magazine here.