City Parks cut trees for crime prevention in Midrand

The Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) did their part towards crime prevention by cutting trees and bushes near the New Road off-ramp in Midrand.

Region A manager at City Parks Joseph Ndou said, “This initiative came about in two ways. Firstly, it was through residents’ own stories that there were smash-and-grabs on this corner. Also, when doing our own site inspections, we identified it as a hotspot, and no one had been taking care of it.”

He added, “One of our staff members was a victim of a smash-and-grab on this corner. Also, our teams and service providers have been victims of crime in this area when working. We thought it imperative to do maintenance in this area to keep it clean and for the safety of the road users in this area.”

Ndou said that the bushes and trees next to the off-ramp acted as a hide-out spot for criminals in the area. “We’re doing this because we are the only entity in the city with the resources to do this, so this will help the police when it comes to visibility while patrolling and being able to see this piece of land clearly… The criminals won’t have anywhere to hide,” said Ndou.

A small team from City Parks cut and trimmed the large bushes and trees next to the New Road bridge.

Ndou said that following the cutting, they would clear the area and then approach the Department of Environmental Health to enquire about the owner of the property who had not been identified by the City of Johannesburg and will engage with them for further developments on the park.

Details: www.jhbcityparksandzoo.com