Farm Watch messaging OWL Welcomes Farmers & Farm Watch Members

OWL is a twice Government award-winning solution for police & communities to keep in touch at a local level and reduce crime. Local officers use OWL to communicate directly with the community on a regular basis to warn them of the latest incidents and receive responses back with information - sometimes leading to arrests and the return of stolen items, animals or missing people..

Nearly 4,000 farms are signed up to OWL so far!

Farmers can sign up for free to receive timely, local alerts by text message (SMS), email, telephone or fax. You choose which and when. The rural policing team send alerts via OWL when a crime has occurred - machinery theft, livestock theft, diesel theft, etc.

27% reduction in farm related crime in 5 months!

Across Gwent farm related crime dropped by 27% after OWL was heavily used by the police to communicate with rural communities. As farm watch membership increased along with messages from the police, information flow went up 10-fold! This led to arrests and recovery of stolen property including expensive tools and a £20,000 digger.

The video above shows BBC News featuring Farm Watch powered by OWL. Farmers are interviewed saying what a difference it makes. Press the play button to watch it now. (Or watch it directly on YouTube).

66% reduction in crime in June 2014 compared to June 2013

Below, OWL is featured on BBC Crimewatch. Press play to watch.

230,000 homes & 20,000 businesses signed up to OWL!

Why not use social media instead?
Most people using social media have 100's of friends or follows resulting in 100's of new messages every day. It's not practical to check every tweet or post if you're busy trying to work. Many messages won't get read, so that crucial message warning of livestock thefts in the area will go unnoticed. Social media messages sometimes contain irrelevant information from many miles away that has nothing to do with where you live or work.

OWL alerts are different because they are sent directly to you making your mobile beep (SMS), your email inbox light up, or your phone or fax ring. OWL messages are very hard to miss and get your attention. If you choose to receive text messages then when one arrives you'll know it's probably important and will read it straight away. OWL messages can be localised and targeted just to individual roads or wards keeping the information relevant based on your home or work address.

The video above from 2014 shows how OWL helped to significantly reduce farm related crime in Gwent and was fully supported by their Police & Crime Commissioner. (Or watch it directly on YouTube).

1 million alerts sent using OWL every month

OWL has helped recover stolen goods including quad bikes and machinary. It even helped locate a missing cow after a rural town was put on alert by the police using OWL. (The cow was found safe and well)

OWL can be operated by the police or in partnership with your local Farmers Union office. They can be given access to OWL to manage their members and send important messages as and when.

Through participation of local government agencies including CSPs, Trading Standards, Police, Fire & Rescue, and others, OWL provides the public with valuable, timely, and local information that effects lives and genuinely prevents crime. See below...

OWL prevents neighbourhood watch member becoming victim of crimeOWL appeared on BBC1's eye-opening, real-life crime series Doorstep Crime 999. Gloria Hunniford showed how OWL helped prevent someone from becoming the next victim of a callous distraction burglary. Watch a short preview or the watch the whole story here. This highlights just one of OWL's successes in helping prevent crime and catching offenders.

OWL is available to all UK police forces, CSPs, and councils to support residential & business watches or to start their own public communication channels. If your organisation would like to enquire about using OWL please contact us.

Find your Neighbourhood Watch Finding & Joining Your Nearest Watch

To register or get in touch with your nearest watch scheme in Herts, Staffs, North Wales, Gwent, West Yorkshire or Dyfed Powys, please select the scheme you're most intersted in and provide your full residential or business postcode.

Watch Scheme:
Your Postcode:

Police force support more schemes than are actually listed here.

Awards Awards & Testimonials

e-Government National Awards 2008 WINNER     

"OWL has delivered on its promise to dramatically improve communication"
ACPO Chief Constable

"Good communication with our communities is pivotal to this success and OWL can deliver this in ways appropriate to the 21st century."
Police Authority

"Our Watch managers and members have been unanimous in their praise for the versatile & user-friendly product"
Staffordshire Chief Inspector

"I thought the OWL system, its range of functionality and user-interface was excellent”
NPIA (Naitional Police Improvement Agency)

"OWL is highly regarded by those Safer Neighbourhood teams that currently have access to it"
HMIC
(Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary)

"OWL offers a benefit beyond some of the most sophisticated police systems"
Police Professional Magazine

"As coordinators we should encourage the widest possible use of OWL... setting up watches on OWL is staggeringly fast and accurate"
Snr Coordinator & Chair of Crime Prevention Panel

e-Government National Awards 2008 Winner: Innovation in local strategy  
   
Prime Minister gives Big Society Award to OWL  
Awarded by the Prime Minister for reducing crime & empowering communities  
   
Britain's Digital Elite awarded for OWL  
Winner of Britain's Digital Elite awarded by Microsoft & Real Business  
   
Network Wales Awards  
Network Wales Awards 2010, runner up for Best Communications  

Partners & Sponsors

Crimestoppers

Inspire Confidence

Community Messaging

Secured by Design, police preferred specification
National Police Approval

OWL is a member of Secured by Design, the initiative from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) that aims to reduce crime through innovative products and processes. The SBD logo is the only symbol that guarantees national Police approval of a product.

McAfee SECURE - click to verify that OWL is secure OWL's security is tested daily. Click the McAfee Secure logo for verification and further info.