A fresh coat of paint on a fence might seem like a small improvement, but around Delta Park it has become part of a much bigger conversation about safety, community pride and taking ownership of public spaces.

The initiative, driven by Victory Park CAP (VPCAP) in collaboration with residents, volunteers, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo and others, saw a stretch of the Delta Park fence repaired and repainted after years of deterioration.

For Michael Block, head of CAP Security in Victory Park, the project reflects a shift in how communities think about crime prevention. “At CAP, we have always believed that the best security intervention is one that prevents crime before it happens,” he said.

That thinking is behind CAP green, which draws on the principles of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) – the idea that the way spaces are designed, maintained, lit and used can influence both crime and people’s perception of safety. Block said a neglected fence may appear insignificant, but deterioration can send a powerful message. “Peeling paint, broken infrastructure, overgrown vegetation, poor lighting and litter all send a message that nobody is looking after a place,” he said.

Read more: Victory Park residents team up with CAP Security to repaint Delta Park fence

The Delta Park fence had become one such concern. The long, poorly lit stretch had already been identified as vulnerable, leading VPCAP to install thermal cameras monitored from the CAP control room, followed by 1km of electric fencing and solar lighting in 2024.

The next concern was the condition of the fence itself. Rust, missing palisade pales and general deterioration created the possibility of breaches, turning an aesthetic problem into a potential security risk. The VPCAP committee decided to allocate resources to repair it, but the project soon grew into something bigger.

Three members of the VPCAP green team painstakingly wire-brushed and sanded the palisade fence before applying rust converter, while a local painting company was brought in to assist. Residents were invited to join the painting effort, with most of the physical work ultimately carried out by volunteers.

The initiative also drew unexpected support. Paintcor, which recently opened a store in Parktown North, supplied paint at a discounted rate and donated brushes and buckets. Residents prepared food using local businesses, while some parkrun participants, who regularly use Delta Park on Saturdays, also joined the effort.

Even after the organised event, residents asked for paint and brushes so they could continue working on the fence the following day. For Block, that response is perhaps more important than the paint itself. “Public spaces belong to all of us,” he said. “Their condition affects how we experience our neighbourhoods and, importantly, how we feel about our city.”

The project has not been without challenges. Storm damage brought trees down onto the fence and electric fence, requiring repairs, while bad weather delayed the completion of the rust-conversion work. The team also had to mix and blend paint colours to find a shade that would sit naturally within the park environment. Yet the broader aim is not simply to make Delta Park look better.

Block believes a cared-for environment encourages people to use it, and increased legitimate activity can itself become a layer of safety through greater natural surveillance and community presence. “Success is a public space that feels cared for. It is residents noticing the improvement and feeling proud of it. It is more people using the environment and a greater sense that the community collectively values what it has,” he said.

Also read: Painting away self-doubt, one brushstroke at a time

Delta Park, he added, is far more than municipal land. It is a shared community asset that provides access to nature and creates a place where people from surrounding neighbourhoods can meet, exercise and spend time outdoors. The hope is that the fence project can become a blueprint for similar partnerships. CAP green is looking at how security expertise, environmental improvements, community participation and public/private partnerships can work together – whether that means improving lighting, clearing an overgrown verge, repairing infrastructure or simply painting a fence. “The principle is the same: identify the environmental factors contributing to deterioration or insecurity, bring together the right partners, intervene visibly and then maintain the improvement,” Block said.

Ultimately, the project is about creating a cycle in which improvement leads to pride, pride encourages use and ownership, and ownership helps protect a space from future deterioration. As Block puts it: “We are not simply responding to crime more effectively; we are helping to create the conditions in which safer communities can flourish.”

Sometimes, that starts with something as easy as picking up a paintbrush.

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