Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Decision on Haringey Parks Police
This from Haringey Council's website, 23rd April 2008:
Haringey Council's Cabinet approved in principle a new Parkforce "model", which would see the current Parks Constabulary replaced with an alternative partnership system.
Residents will now be consulted on the proposals, which include a major increase in the number of parks staff within the borough's parks, along with much closer working links with police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV).
Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Dhiren Basu, said:
"Much has changed since we originally launched the Haringey Parks Constabulary in November 2002, especially the introduction of the police's Safer Neighbourhoods Teams to focus on local areas.
"Through discussions with partners - particularly the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum and individual Friends Groups - we have developed a new system which would result in much greater parks supervision.
"There is a clear correlation between staffing levels in parks and open spaces and crime and people's fear of crime, and we hope both would fall as a result of the new model we are proposing.
"But we want to ensure any new system has the biggest possible benefit for users of our parks, which is why we will now be carrying out a thorough consultation with residents."
Parkforce model
The new Parkforce model, which is supported by the Metropolitan Police and in line with government policy in encouraging more people to make regular use of parks, would be administrated through five new parks zones.
These would be linked to current Area Assembly areas and based on the number and area of open spaces in each zone.
The model includes:
A new cross-borough Safer Neighbourhood Team based at Finsbury Park, to support Safer Neighbourhood Teams within five new parks zones
Five BTCV Outreach Officers covering each zone, responsible for delivering a wide variety of programmes and activity across the five Parkforce areas, such as landscaping improvements, arranging corporate away days, and organising sports activities.
Increased frontline parks staff (more than 17,000 additional hours per year) to engage with users, Friends Groups and Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
Plans to work with the Parks Friends Forum to establish new Parkforce Community Warden volunteering opportunities, aimed at improving the appearance and use of open space.
The council has also agreed to enter negotiations with Hackney and Islington councils around funding for more police officers for Finsbury Park, which borders both boroughs.
Cllr Basu added:
"The simple fact is that 11 Parks Constabulary officers - no matter how dedicated - are always going to struggle to operate effectively across Haringey's 600 acres of open space throughout the day.
"We need to look at different ways of policing our parks, particularly through strengthening links with the police and voluntary organisations.
"I would like to place on record my thanks to the Parks Constabulary for their hard work and commitment over the past few years, but I believe it is now time to move to a different system that will encourage still more of our residents to make regular use of our parks."
Parkforce Zones
The five new zones being introduced through the system are:
Zone 1:
Alexandra (Albert Road Recreation Ground),
Fortis Green (Coldfall Wood),
Muswell Hill (Queen's Wood),
Hornsey (Priory Park) and
Stroud Green, Crouch End and Highgate (Parkland Walk).
Zone 2:
Bounds Green (Avenue Gardens, Finsbury Gardens, Springfield Park).
Woodside (Woodside Park, White Hart Lane Recreation Ground, Chapmans Green),
Noel Park (Russell (Noel) Park),
White Hart Lane (Bruce Castle Park, Tower Gardens) and
Northumberland Park (Somerford Grove).
Zone 3:
West Green (Belmont Recreation Ground, Downhills Park, Lordship Recreation Ground),
Tottenham Hale (Downlane Recreation Ground, Hartington Park, The Paddock),
Seven Sisters (Markfield Park, Paignton Park, Manchester Gardens) and
Tottenham Green.
Zone 4:
Harringay (Ducketts Common, Green Gate Common, Falkland Fairfax Open Space, Railway Fields) and
St Ann's (Chestnut's Park).
Zone 5:
Harringay (Finsbury Park).
The new scheme is due to come into effect before the end of the 2008-09 financial year.
Haringey Council's Cabinet approved in principle a new Parkforce "model", which would see the current Parks Constabulary replaced with an alternative partnership system.
Residents will now be consulted on the proposals, which include a major increase in the number of parks staff within the borough's parks, along with much closer working links with police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV).
Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Dhiren Basu, said:
"Much has changed since we originally launched the Haringey Parks Constabulary in November 2002, especially the introduction of the police's Safer Neighbourhoods Teams to focus on local areas.
"Through discussions with partners - particularly the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum and individual Friends Groups - we have developed a new system which would result in much greater parks supervision.
"There is a clear correlation between staffing levels in parks and open spaces and crime and people's fear of crime, and we hope both would fall as a result of the new model we are proposing.
"But we want to ensure any new system has the biggest possible benefit for users of our parks, which is why we will now be carrying out a thorough consultation with residents."
Parkforce model
The new Parkforce model, which is supported by the Metropolitan Police and in line with government policy in encouraging more people to make regular use of parks, would be administrated through five new parks zones.
These would be linked to current Area Assembly areas and based on the number and area of open spaces in each zone.
The model includes:
A new cross-borough Safer Neighbourhood Team based at Finsbury Park, to support Safer Neighbourhood Teams within five new parks zones
Five BTCV Outreach Officers covering each zone, responsible for delivering a wide variety of programmes and activity across the five Parkforce areas, such as landscaping improvements, arranging corporate away days, and organising sports activities.
Increased frontline parks staff (more than 17,000 additional hours per year) to engage with users, Friends Groups and Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
Plans to work with the Parks Friends Forum to establish new Parkforce Community Warden volunteering opportunities, aimed at improving the appearance and use of open space.
The council has also agreed to enter negotiations with Hackney and Islington councils around funding for more police officers for Finsbury Park, which borders both boroughs.
Cllr Basu added:
"The simple fact is that 11 Parks Constabulary officers - no matter how dedicated - are always going to struggle to operate effectively across Haringey's 600 acres of open space throughout the day.
"We need to look at different ways of policing our parks, particularly through strengthening links with the police and voluntary organisations.
"I would like to place on record my thanks to the Parks Constabulary for their hard work and commitment over the past few years, but I believe it is now time to move to a different system that will encourage still more of our residents to make regular use of our parks."
Parkforce Zones
The five new zones being introduced through the system are:
Zone 1:
Alexandra (Albert Road Recreation Ground),
Fortis Green (Coldfall Wood),
Muswell Hill (Queen's Wood),
Hornsey (Priory Park) and
Stroud Green, Crouch End and Highgate (Parkland Walk).
Zone 2:
Bounds Green (Avenue Gardens, Finsbury Gardens, Springfield Park).
Woodside (Woodside Park, White Hart Lane Recreation Ground, Chapmans Green),
Noel Park (Russell (Noel) Park),
White Hart Lane (Bruce Castle Park, Tower Gardens) and
Northumberland Park (Somerford Grove).
Zone 3:
West Green (Belmont Recreation Ground, Downhills Park, Lordship Recreation Ground),
Tottenham Hale (Downlane Recreation Ground, Hartington Park, The Paddock),
Seven Sisters (Markfield Park, Paignton Park, Manchester Gardens) and
Tottenham Green.
Zone 4:
Harringay (Ducketts Common, Green Gate Common, Falkland Fairfax Open Space, Railway Fields) and
St Ann's (Chestnut's Park).
Zone 5:
Harringay (Finsbury Park).
The new scheme is due to come into effect before the end of the 2008-09 financial year.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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"Residents will now be consulted on the proposals",
I do hope this is done properly, with public meetings and explanations of the Park Force Model. It may be that this is an excellent model but until I and other park users have the full details of how it works, I don't think I can be 'consulted' on it.
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