Safety at parks is boosted

Park rangers and police are raiding inner city parks, arresting criminals and making sure by-laws are obeyed with a view to safety over the festive season.
IN a bid to ensure safety in public parks ahead of the festive season, Johannesburg City Parks is ridding parks in Hillbrow and Berea of loiters and suspected drug dealers through a series of raids.

Making parks safe for childrenMaking parks safe for childrenThe raids, done in conjunction with the Johannesburg metro police department and the Hillbrow police, started on 25 October. On the day, four parks were targeted – Mitchell Park, Alec Gorschel Park, Donald MacKay Park and Pullinger Hill Park.

A total of 72 people were arrested, some of them in possession of drugs.

Matome Baholo, the manager of the utility’s park rangers, said the operation would continue throughout the festive season to ensure that people’s safety in parks was not compromised.

“According to the law governing public parks in the city of Johannesburg, no one is allowed to camp or reside in public spaces after 6 pm.

“Our main aim is to create safer places for the people of Johannesburg, and this festive season we assure our people that they can go out in parks to relax and have a good time. Criminals and those who violate our parks will not have a chance,” he said.

“We want parks to be safe places for our children to play without any fear.”

Park rangers would be on the lookout constantly for people who violated City by-laws. “We know Berea and Hillbrow are commonly known to have high levels of crime, especially at the time of the festive season.”

By-laws governing public spaces are available on the City Parks website.

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