One of Parks Protection Service off-road bikes used for rapid response
During the redevelopment of the park in 2014 Central park was patrolled with high intensity, hi vis, zero tolerance officers in high numbers. This had the effect of lowering the ASB and allowed the police officers to engage with the park users and build up relationships with some users to become established park watchers. This facilitated the park becoming a much safer space and the increased use made it become more self-policing. In recent years anti-social behaviour in Central Park, as with most of the borough’s parks, has been low due to the regular patrols and effective intervention carried out by the team. We are also in the process of installing CCTV into the skate area and hope to complete the project by winter 2017 3.3 Parks Locking Park gates and barriers that are closed in the evening are also managed by the Parks Protection Service. They have a Park Gates Supervisor who to manages a further small security team of Gate Operatives. Parks Constables will assist in the locking and unlocking of gates and barriers, where it is required to reduce crime or antisocial behaviour. As part of this duty they use marked council vehicles with flashing warning lights and on locking enter the park ringing a bell to announce closing time. Central Park secured each evening half an hour after dusk and opened each morning by 8am. The floodlights in the skate park area are programmed on a timer that coincides with the park locking. Times are adjusted through the season to encourage users to vacate the area at locking time. We are able to turn half the lights off and the rest go off 15 minutes later to avoid plunging park users into darkness. 16
