City Parks and police address safety concerns after Delta Park shooting

In the wake of the recent shooting incident at Delta Park, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) has responded by expressing deep concern about the reported criminal activity occurring within its parks and cemeteries.

A man and his dog were shot in the park on February 24. The incident occurred near the historic Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary while the victim was walking his dogs. The man was rushed to hospital after being shot in the neck and the stomach while his dog was killed on the scene.

City Parks spokesperson Jenny Moodley explained the organisation’s commitment to addressing safety concerns in public spaces. “While City Parks is responsible for horticultural maintenance, it does not have the authority to enforce by-laws or investigate reported incidents of transgressions.
“To address this, JMPD has deployed a small contingent of officers who patrol the city’s flagship facilities including Delta Park, alongside park rangers as part of the Safer Cities programme. This initiative is aimed at deterring crime.”

Moodley highlighted the collaborative efforts between City Parks, the police and metro police to combat crime in the city’s parks. “Given that crime is often opportunistic in its nature, SAPS and JMPD play a crucial role in containing criminal activity across the 2 173 public open spaces managed by City Parks in Johannesburg. To enhance visible policing, the entity has established several community-based partnerships with private neighbourhood security companies.”

Furthermore, the entity has intensified its community engagement efforts through programmes like Adopt-a-Park and increased the number of park ambassadors funded by Sanbi. “The park rangers have recently adopted a region-based security plan to foster greater accountability regarding active and visible patrolling. However, the most significant impact occurs when communities volunteer to partner with the city’s enforcement teams in protecting and safeguarding the city’s treasured parks.”

Regarding the specific incident at Delta Park, Moodley confirmed that the matter is under police investigation. “JCPZ is unfortunately not privileged to information in this regard. Security is present at this facility.”

In light of recent events, Moodley urges visitors to prioritise safety when visiting parks. She outlined several safety tips for residents to follow, including staying alert, sticking to designated paths, and reporting suspicious activity to security or law enforcement.

“Vigilance and community involvement remain critical in ensuring visitor safety in these valuable green spaces. Our current reality demands heightened vigilance, and we appeal to visitors to help contribute to making parks safe spaces for everyone.”

The support commander of Linden Police Station, Pranay Bedessie, explained that this is not the first crime the park has experienced. “There have been a few minor robbery cases reported at the park. It must be mentioned that Delta Park is a huge area to police and unfortunately, the park does not have proper entrance and exit points and neither a perimeter fence.”

Bedessie advised the public to adhere to park visitation times and said that police would conduct regular visits to the park to prevent future incidents. “Weekly operations are held with the City of Johannesburg CRUM team, security companies and police to try to prevent and also apprehend suspects possibly linked to our reported cases.”

He assured residents that the Linden detectives are currently investigating the matter. “Suspects are unknown at this stage. We are appealing to the public who have witnessed this to please come forward and share the information with us.”

Members of the public are urged to contact Sergeant Masumpa at 011 888 9211 or 079 5099 640 if they have information relating to the incident.

Related article: Remain aware of your surroundings when visiting city parks