PROPOSED changes to the way police deal with Neighbourhood Watch groups will be a step backwards, according to a Keilor East divisional leader.

Chairperson of the Moonee Valley Neighbourhood Watch District committee, Ron Kennelly, described a forthcoming alteration to Neighbourhood Watch monthly newsletters as “retrograde.”

Statistics for the newsletters will now be provided for police service regions rather than smaller local areas.

Traditionally, the newsletters list statistics for their locality, showing the type of crime and the street address where it occurred.

State Opposition police spokesman Andrew McIntosh said Neighbourhood Watch members were told the changes had been “decreed” by the Chief Police Commissioner, with the support of the Police Minister and Premier John Brumby.

Mr Kennelly said he had not been given much information about the upcoming changes, but the newsletter issue worried him the most.

“We’d welcome everything of a positive nature, but are dead against not getting crime statistics to local areas every month,” Mr Kennelly said.

He said the Moonee Valley Neighbourhood Watch delivered more than 30,000 newsletters every month.

He said police had told him the newsletters helped to cut crime rates by alerting people to crimes common in their area and advice on how to stop them.

“I think it would have a major impact on support for Neighbourhood Watch,” he said.

Mr Kennelly said the proposed changes would be too much like a previous Neighbourhood Watch program which did not work.

“Under the old system, the division was too big, people from Essendon said they’re not interested in what happens in Fawkner,” he said.

Victoria Police Superintendent Tony de Ridder said although members would no longer attend Neighbourhood Watch area meetings to provide crime statistics, the new changes would strengthen relations between police and Neighbourhood Watch overall.

A State Government spokesman responded to Star by saying: “Neighbourhood Watch members were invited to attend a Realignment and Neighbourhood Watch Police Service Area Based Model Workshop to be apprised of the changes” last weekend.