Urban Group participates in Neighbourhood Watch Project
of Harmony House
Date: 05/19/2006

Urban Group recently joint forces with Harmony House to launch the Neighbourhood Watch Project in Tin Chak Estate under its management, aiming to improve neighbourhood relationship to help reduce domestic violence among public housing estates in Hong Kong.

The Project started out in Chak Yu House, Tin Chak Estate at Tin Shui Wai in November 2005. The Project was based on a survey administered by Dr Chan Yuk Chung, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, on domestic violence and neighbourhood relationship, which collected 100 questionnaires from the residents. The result found that 34% of the respondents said they did not know any one of the occupants on the same floor they lived; 74% reflected that they could not find anyone on the same floor who could helped them when they were in trouble; while 40% said they would not intervene if they saw their neighbours beating their children.

Basing on the survey results, the Project is aiming to train up security guards on the recognization and techniques for dealing with domestic violence so that they can provide support and necessary mediation when they discovered a family at risk of domestic violence.

Harmony Home has set up a cooperation mechanism with the management companies so that they can obtain the databases of families prone to domestic violence so as to provide necessary assistance beforehand. The Project also draws the Mutual Aid Committee members and residents together to build a strong community network by disseminating the message of preventing domestic violence, to improve communications and to enhance the cooperative and caring spirit among the residents.

Ms Susanna Liu, Senior Group Manager - Property Asset Management of Urban Group revealed, "Through participating in the Neighbourhood Watch Project, we have trained up our security guards on the concept and basic skills in handling domestic violence. If they traced any sense of domestic violence, they will take action to mediate or transfer the case to Harmony House for follow up actions, so as to eradiate any chance of deterioration of the situation. Our security guards also act as the bridge among the residents to help improve neighbourhood relationship."

"The Project paves the way for the property management industry to participate in social affairs and enabling us to assist the various NGOs to provide services for the needy people in the society. It also helps enhance the service quality of our frontline management personnel. We sincerely hope that the Project could help improve the communication and set up a support network for the residents, so as to create a pleasant and harmonious living environment for all of them," added Ms Susanna Liu.

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