It beggars belief! Labour Haringey are planning to scrap the Haringey parks Police next year. That’s going to make people feel safer using our parks – not!
In order to save £200,000 the new plans from Labour propose to reduce the scheme to using wardens – who won’t have the power of arrest. Local Haringey Lib Dems and I have launched a campaign to stop Labour from disbanding the Parks Constabulary. For the last five years they have looked after us in the parks, petrolled, watched over evens and provided a police presence – which we need if we are to feel less vulnerable and make good use of our parks.
The Parks Police play a critical role in keeping local residents safe. Sadly all too often our parks have been the scene for anti-social behaviour – and the Park Constabulary, with powers of arrest, are the key to making the parks a venue for everyone.
Who is going to be on hand to take direct action when someone is tearing through a park on a motorbike in the summer or to check that our parks aren’t being used for drug taking and prostitution in winter?
We are proposing our own way forward including proper radio, CCTV links with police, training and more cover. We have been calling for greater integration of our local police and the park team, but Labour now seem to be working away from this. It is park users who will suffer and who are going to be unnecessarily put at greater risk.
Lynne Featherstone 
The Haringey Council are not planning to cut Parks police? When was this idea coined and what happen to public consultation? What will you do to help initiate public consultation for local residents to voice their opinion. I WANT A CONSULTATION????? WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t believe Haringey Council are planning to cut the Parks Police, why is it that Haringey have only a small Parks Police service in comparison to other boroughs Parks Police services, this is disgraceful considering the amount of council tax we pay and the Labour concil’s apparent dedication to cutting crime. Haringey’s Parks Police do a very good job and are a welcomed presence in the parks. I agree what happened to public consultation?
I am absolutely outraged that Haringey Council are considering cutting our Parks Police Service. It is all very well the council spending money on the parks and gaining green flag status but who will be there to ensure that our parks are safe for us to visit, does the council consider the safety of its park users at all. Replacing the Parks Police with wardens will not work, Haringey had Rangers before the implementation of the Parks Police and that did not work. The council should concentrate on funding for the Parks Police and not replacing it. They are a valuable service in the Borough and one that I certainly do not want to see disolved. Have the Council attempted to canvas park users before they came up with this hair brained idea, the answer is no, so yes Public Consultation is a must to prevent Haringey losing its Parks Police.
Today I furnished my concerns out in a letter addressed to Labour’s Cllr Nilgun Canver, Cabinet Member for Crime and Community Safety, outlining my concerns and requesting a date for the consultation process. However, I await her full response. I copied in all three Bounds Green ward councillors, but very much doubt they really care about this issue. ThanksMash
im sorry to hear that the good residents of your borough will lose a valued parks police service.i live in sutton our great parks police were scrapped in the beginning of 2oo7.our parks are now policed by useless pcso’s, the local yobbos had a begrudging respect for the parks police , they now just laugh at the pcso’s and are back causing anti social behaviour’. parks needs constables with the power of arrest that is the only thing hooligans respect. best regards tax payer of sutton.
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