Big brothers are watching over the Company’s Garden

by | Nov 2, 2015 | News | 0 comments

The Company’s Garden is a popular public space that attracts a diverse group of residents and visitors to the city. The City of Cape Town has increased security measures by way of additional lighting and CCTV cameras and by working in collaboration with other security agencies

Cape Town’s Company’s Garden in Queen Victoria Street can easily be dubbed the garden of many facets.

The gardens are popular as a venue for picnics, exhibitions, hosting children’s parties, taking wedding photographs and even yoga classes, to mention but a few. A number of residents, both young and old, make their way to the gardens on a daily basis either to relax and read or study, visit the restaurant or simply to enjoy the serene surroundings of this public space. With the free Wi-Fi in place, many also come to the gardens to check their emails and hang out on social media.

To ensure the safety of patrons, the City Parks Department has, over the years, upgraded security measures in the Company’s Garden and will continue to do so in the future.

‘I firmly believe that working in collaboration with all role players will always make progress possible. The City has enhanced security in the gardens in conjunction with many partners, including the Central City Improvement District (CCID) and we have seen positive results. We are pleased to note that the levels of crime have dropped significantly in the Company’s Garden, making this a safe space for all to enjoy,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Special Projects, Alderman Belinda Walker.

CCTV cameras have been installed within the precinct, with four situated inside the gardens and four situated along Government Avenue, which is used as a popular pedestrian walkway until late at night. These cameras are linked to the City’s own CCTV network via the Cyclops control room.

Additional street lamps have been installed in The Paddocks, which is the grassed area above the art gallery and opposite the museum. This area was previously under-lit, but with the installation of extra lighting it has become much safer at night. More lights have been installed along Government Avenue and the Public Lighting section within the City’s Electricity Services Department ensures that the lamps are in good working order. This is in addition to the existing lighting which has been welcomed especially during the dark winter mornings and evenings. There are currently plans in place to install even more lighting in the gardens, as part of the ongoing efforts to create a safe and secure environment for visitors.

The City Parks Department has employed private security guards to patrol the Company’s Garden on a daily basis, both during the day and at night.

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To beef up the number of security guards on patrol, the CCID security personnel also patrol Government Avenue. The high presence of security staff has helped to deter crime and the well-informed guards also assist tourists with way-finding and general information.

In addition to the already improved security, the highly visible South African Police Service Mounted Unit patrols through the Company’s Garden, especially during the peak summer months.

‘With all security role players working in collaboration as a cohesive unit, would-be criminals should think twice about targeting people in the gardens. The security staff of the Iziko Museum and the Jewish Community Centre cooperate with these security agencies and the overall effect is a comprehensive monitoring and action system in the Company’s Garden day and night,’ added Alderman Walker.

The Manager for Safety and Security at the CCID, Muneeb Hendricks, said that the revitalisation of the restaurant area in the Company’s Garden is also seeing increasing numbers of people visiting this beautiful CBD asset.

‘This results in the space being more populated, increasingly eliminating the opportunity for would-be criminals to commit crime. The new restaurant is very popular and many visitors enjoy this facility. This has had a positive effect and there have been no reports of crime in and around the area. The restaurant also employs two security staff who keep a vigilant watch on the patrons. We find that when many people use a space there tends to be less opportunistic crime. One such example is the large number of visitors congregating to make use of the free Wi-Fi in the Company’s Garden. This high presence of people has resulted in no reported incidents among those using this facility,’ said Hendricks.

With all the safety measures in place in and around the Company’s Garden, the City hopes to maintain it as a safe and inclusive recreational place for all residents and visitors, to enjoy the delights the garden has to offer.

via Cape Town Green Map

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