From Sunday we have WhatsApp communities, which can cover relevant areas for members who want to exchange information. We will be closing down all our free groups, compiled from users of free services and only provide services to users who have paid a subscription via a banking service. We offer membership to those suffering hardship if they provide ID and address verification.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan thinks of offering free WiFi across London. A word of stark warning, hackers find it very easy to reach into your data on your phone, tablet or laptop via shared WiFi access. The latest warning come from the FBI saying that free charging ports in airports and hotels are not safe to use.

Travel tip from #FBI Jacksonville: Avoid using USB ports at free charging stations in airports, hotels, or shopping centers. Bad actors could introduce malware and monitoring software onto your device. Instead, carry your own charging cable and use an electrical outlet. pic.twitter.com/QoGITiICjF

— FBI Jacksonville (@FBIJacksonville) May 28, 2022

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I have been through free Neighbourhood Watch sites, both police and not police attended and I am horrified by the lapses in security that the sites display.

Registrations without any check, no police checks, no other checks mandatory. Not even on Police run sites, do you have to undergo any identification verification at the point of registration.

Some free service sites then use your registration to sell you or promote their security systems via their huge mailing list.

Question is why would you want to pay the expensive prices via a Neighbourhood Watch site, when you can get better and more efficient equipment on the free market according to your choice?

I don’t think that Neighbourhood Watch sites are safe. Anybody who has progressed to coordinator, can see your address and contact details. They are only safe if you already trust the people you share the group with.

I have spent a long time trying to work with this and now have finally snapped.

No More of this.

I have now come to use a service, which uses high-spec tec equipment, doesn’t use any shared WiFi or data and uses secure log into the confidential membership parts of the service. Not all Borough Command Unit messages are suitable for sharing but of interest to users. Minutes of meetings and some docs are also not in the interest of the general public.

I think that anybody who sells you the dream of Neighbourhood Safety by joining a free online website without checks, is sadly having you on. Any crime prevention material can be obtained directly from providers, see recommended portals. What Neighbourhood Watch sites often do is keep you busy. That is good if you are bored.

In my experience in Tower Hamlets most people are very busy and want fast and efficient crime reporting, quick access to relevant information and get relevant advice without having to jump through hoops.

Sites like NextDoor are a good alternative, as NextDoor checks your address details. NextDoor was set up by the Home Office originally. However they really heavily control what is posted on that site and judge postings curbing freedom of speech.

Yet, you want to have borough or Ward specific information and you do not want to search too long through social media or X posts to find what you are looking for.

I provide a reliable safe service and charge only a one-time subscription fee to register people on the service. This is to cover me for costs.

I have informed the Tower Hamlets Police, the Tower Hamlets Safer Neighbourhoods Team and Safer Neighbourhood Board.

I thoroughly recommend that you use banking apps for financial safety. You can set them to receive push notifications and each time when a transaction comes in or out, it alarms you.