City Parks´ Official to the Rescue
Dear Mr Williamson,
A few days ago, I was walking along the edge of a park off Steward Drive in the Bellevue East area talking to my friend on my cellphone. This guy, wearing a hat like Chester in Yizo Yizo, bounced up from nowhere and held me up at knife point. He took my cell and demanded my bag. I argued with him. I didn´t want him to take my ID or flat keys. I said to him, ´Take my cell and my money, but give me my sim card back. What are you going to do with my sim? Also leave me with my ID and keys.´ He told me to shut up, and said he would stab me. I was terrified but for some reason I wasn´t prepared to give him my things. While we were arguing, three of the City Parks tree-planting guys who´d been working in the street ran up and grabbed my mugger. One of them used my cell to phone the SAPS. Next thing, I had to make a statement at the police station.
If it hadn´t been for the JCP staff, I might have lost everything--possibly even my life. I was in such a state that I never even asked their names, and wish to thank them through you.
I realise, thinking about it afterwards, that I made three basic mistakes:
1) Talking on a cellphone in a public place made me vulnerable.
2) Carrying my bag with all my possessions over my shoulder was asking for trouble. I have subsequently bought a bag that I strap across my body. Also, I no longer keep all my valuables in the bag. I keep my keys elsewhere.
3) It is crazy to try to argue with your attacker. I was lucky this time, but another time I might not be: I will simply hand over my stuff without a murmur.
BUT THEN, I DON´T EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME!
Please say thanks to your tree-planting unit,
With best wishes,
MISSY NYEMBE
Besides the issues Missy Nyembe has raised in her letter to MD Luther Williamson, here are a few tips to ensure that your next park visit is a safe and happy one.
DON´T
Feed the animals.
Break plants, trees or park equipment.
Start a fire in a restricted area.
Take your dog off its leash.
Be disrespectful towards other park users.
DO
Adhere to signage in your parks.
Stay alert.
Report any wrongdoing in your park.
Mail To: rmkhwanazi@jhbcityparks.com to tell us about your experience.
Respect your local surroundings.
Watch the weather.
Remember that SAFETY is firstly a personal responsibility. Enjoy your next park visit.
DRAFT PARK SAFETY POLICY
Johannesburg City Parks (JCP) is in the process of developing a Park Safety Policy. Send your comments and ideas about this policy to ooliphant@jhbcityparks.com
PURPOSE OF POLICY
To ensure there is a strategy for implementation in Joburg that will allow safe and secure facilities. All applicable legislation will be enforced in JCP´s facilities. These laws must be executed in conjunction with all implementing agents.
POLICY OBJECTIVES
To implement by-laws, ordinances and Acts.
To increase the safety of users by ensuring higher utilisation of facilities and thereby enhance the quality of lives of our customers.
To create awareness among users of the facilities.
APPLICATION
Train JCP wardens in aspects of law enforcement, and adopt safety measures and methods to reduce, control or remove threats to user safety.
Established Direct lines of communication with all implementing agents.
Identify various areas of jurisdiction between the Metro Police, SAPS and JCP to make it easier to report incidents.
The implementing agents will enforce legislation.
HIGH VISIBILITY
(Please feel free to add your ideas to this list and mail your list to ooliphant@jhbcityparks.com)
Will be jointly and severally ensured through:
Constant patrols, both by vehicle and on foot, especially in the more frequented parks
Daily interaction with users of parks
High intensity patrols in parks where problems and complaints regularly occur
Regular SAPS patrols and stopovers for the Metro Police
Concerted sweeps by all law enforcement agencies
Visibly branded vehicles
Implementing agents in easily identifiable uniforms
Strategically designed and placed signage
Satellite stations/precincts establsihed in identified facilities
FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS
These will be managed according to JCP´s existing policies and procedures. Our implementing arms will try to respond to complaints in the shortest possible time.
We believe that the more our facilities are used, the less vandalism will be a problem. However, we need to ensure timely reaction to reports of abuse and vandalism and create an aura of respect for upholding the law among park users.
In the event of illegal occupation of our facilities, JCP will collect the information and immediately hand it over to implementing agents in Joburg City structures, such as Social Services.
COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
INTERNAL
Access should be easy, which will enable all implementing agents to report unlawful activities in JCP´s facilities.
Regular feedback meetings will be held with representatives from the implementing agents to evaluate and monitor progress.
EXTERNAL
Ensure that the public is well informed about the park safety policy as well as the by-laws. This can be done through: information brochures; ward councillors; presentation at Ward and community meetings; educational programmes at schools and regular interaction with call centres and helpdesks.
There must be a regular line of communication between the community (users of the parks) and JCP.
Communities must be encouraged to take ownership of their parks through: Friends of the Park; community forums; legal vendors; schools and businesses.
Communities must be asked for help in addressing and identifying problems in relation to abuse in parks.
Public-private partnerships should be entered into wherever possible to upgrade, maintain, equip or provide facilities in parks.
JCP must build up a relationship with communities to assure them of and refresh our service delivery mandate.
Form partnerships with stakeholders in conjunction with the implementing agents to prepare integrated programmes on visitor safety.
Develop and continuously implement visitor safety programmes in conjunction with park users.
Establish the tendency to use community members to act as the eyes and ears of JCP´s facilities.
PHYSICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
Implement a zero tolerance policy at all facilities.
Arrange joint swoops with other agencies on problem facilities.
Ensure there is adequate signage in parks.
Follow up on incident reports through operational incident report-line.
Establish an internal reservist force to assist during major events, on public holidays and with swoops.
SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS
These will be entered into between JCP and other implementing agents, to address the following:
By-law enforcement
Response times for urgent calls
Accurate crime statistics
Frequency of patrols by implementing agents
Establishing visibility in parks
Routine sweeps in problematic parks
Training of park wardens
MONITORING COMMITTEE
This will be set up to evaluate the effectiveness of the joint policing of parks by the implementing agents. This committee should meet regularly to monitor the usage of facilities, evaluate formal feedback reports, resolve disputes that may arise in terms of policy, recommend and implement required remedial action and manage the process and any other related matter that may arise.
SIGNAGE
It should be clear and standardised; contain adequate information including a summary of the by-laws; provide contact details.
CLOSURE OF PARKS
Certain identified facilities will close for the following reasons:
Security purposes between 18:00 and 06:00
Special functions
Construction of CAPEX projects
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Parks