Neighbourhood Watch and Incident Log

Who this is for

One line per thing seen or reported on a street or scheme. Date, time, place, a plain description, who reported it and to whom, and the reference number that came back. It is a log of what was observed and what was passed on, not a judgement about anybody.

Neighbourhood watch coordinators, residents' associations, street groups keeping a shared record, and households on a lane or estate who want the pattern in one place rather than in a group chat.

What this helps you track

• What was seen or reported, when and exactly where
• Who reported it and who they reported it to
• The reference number given, so the report can be found again
• Whether anyone followed it up, and what came of it
• The shape of a run of reports over weeks rather than days

How to use it

1. Write the street or scheme, the coordinator, the period the sheet covers and the non-emergency number you use at the top.
2. Add a line as soon after the event as you can: the date, the time, the place, and what was actually seen.
3. Describe what happened rather than who you think was responsible, and keep names out unless the person has agreed to be named.
4. Record who reported it and which body they reported it to, and write in the reference number when it comes back.
5. Tick followed up and write what happened in the notes, so the next meeting has something to read.
6. Start a fresh sheet each period; on screen, the browser version saves in your own browser and downloads as a completed PDF.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Should I report something before I log it?

Anything urgent goes to your emergency services first — a log entry is not a report and reaches nobody. Write the line afterwards, with the reference they give you.

Can I write down names and registration numbers?

Think about who will read the sheet before you do. A shared log circulates, and what you write about a neighbour is subject to the rules on personal information where you are. Describing what was seen is usually enough.

What is the reference column for?

The number a police force, council or housing provider gives when a report is logged. It is the only reliable way to find that report again, and it makes a run of entries traceable rather than anecdotal.

Does this replace a scheme's own reporting form?

No. If your scheme, force or council has a form, use theirs. This sheet is the street's own copy, which is what a coordinator needs when somebody asks what has been happening.

Can we keep it online?

The browser version saves in your own browser on the device you used and sends nothing anywhere, so a coordinator can keep it on one machine and print copies for meetings.