A charity that looks after over 6,000 acres of parks and green spaces in Milton Keynes has recruited three Park Enforcement Officers to help its Rangers in tackling anti-social behaviour such as littering, dog fouling, and graffiti.
The Parks Trust has worked with Thames Valley Police and Milton Keynes Council on the scheme. The officers have the authority to issue fixed penalty notices for offences such as littering and dog fouling, as given to them by the council and police force. The fines are administered by the council and any income goes on community safety.
The officers will be trained by Thames Valley Police under the community safety accreditation scheme (CSAS), which more usually is taken up by local government, housing associations, or private sector contract guarding companies. The enforcement officers will wear a Parks Trust uniform and will carry a CSAS identification badge and wear body worn cameras.
Rob Riekie, Operations Director of The Parks Trust said; “The new Park Enforcement Officers are an important addition to our team. We want all visitors to have a pleasant and enjoyable time visiting our parks. As the parks become ever busier, we want to keep on top of anti-social behaviour. The aim is for the new officers, who will work alongside our Rangers and other site teams, to ensure that the parks are being used responsibly and that we are protecting our beautiful green spaces for the enjoyment of all. Just the issue of litter alone costs The Trust over £350,000 a year and as a self-financing charity we want this money to be better spent on care, maintenance and improvement of the parks for the benefit of the whole community.”
And for Thames Valley Police, Supt Marc Tarbit, Commander for Milton Keynes local policing area, said: “I’m pleased that we have been able to work with The Parks Trust and Milton Keynes Council to create these new roles to help us all tackle anti-social behaviour. There are some brilliant open spaces in Milton Keynes for local communities to enjoy and we look forward to working alongside the Park Enforcement Officers to ensure these remain safe for all who want to enjoy them.”
As for litter, the Trust has mobile CCTV in operation. Ten investigations were carried out last in May 2020 alone, it reports.
