SWOT Analysis

The establishment of this service has meant Havering Council is able to address crime and anti-social behaviour in our parks. An example of previous effective team action, is the reduction of motorbikes unlawfully using green spaces, causing risk of harm towards other parks users. The team have successfully deterred some riders from regularly entering our sites, meanwhile using their enforcement powers under Byelaws and related enactments to prosecute the worst offenders, removing those vehicles from causing further risk in parks. The Parks Protection Service, as a whole, have also taken a lead role in deterrence and engagement with travellers during unlawful incursions. On these occasions, the Team have ensured that Havering’s parks continue to be safe for the public to use, reducing serious littering, deterring organised fly tipping and other anti-social behaviour, ensuring their stay is kept to a minimum timescale, in close liaison with the Havering Council Planning Team.

One of Parks Protection Service off-road bikes used for rapid response

The Parks Protection Service have to deal with numerous offences in Harrow Lodge Park since they were established given the open nature of the park, how easily accessible it is and its location in a densely populated urban environment. These have mainly been preventing motorbikes from using the park as a cut through and then educating the riders through formal warnings.

In recent years anti-social behaviour in Harrow Lodge Park, as with most of the borough’s parks, has been very minimal due to the regular patrols and effective intervention carried out by the team. In 2016 the team patrolled the park 174 times with 37 prompted by calls. Only low level enforcement was required with 7 verbal warnings and 6 written warnings issued.