QPWEB Issues - Vandalism

The park and sports facilities provided by City Council are funded by the rates and taxes paid by Cape Town's ratepayers and are there to be enjoyed by the local community.

Sadly, anti-social elements work to degrade these facilities, from time to time.

Sometimes is it clearly theft of metal to be sold as scrap:

• When the old Victorian-style palisade fence was being replaced, sections of that old fencing were stolen by vagrants, sometimes in broad daylight!;
   
• The beautiful brass slipway in the Play Park's slide was stolen one evening. (It has now been replaced, but with something less classy);
   
• The copper pipes in the public toilet vanished years ago. (Fortunately they have been replaced with less-desireable Polycarp pipes);
   
• The transformers in the Soccer Club's floodlights were also stolen for scrap metal. These have been replaced with sturdy steel plates to prevent that happening again;
   
• The Soccer Club's steel goal posts were stolen least year! (That must surely win the prize for the largest single metal theft ever in Queens Park);
   
• The padlocks for the Play Park and Dog Park have been vandalised from time to time.

Sometimes vandalism happens for the sheer anti-social pleasure of it:

• The public toilets suffered this fate a couple of years ago. Now they are securely locked at night;
   
• The old Swimming Pool's buildings and pool were progressively vandalised over the years, even though two security guards were on the premises, 24/7.

Locking the Play Park and Dog Park areas has helped to reducing these crimes. Council and the SAP are also working to close down Scrap Metal merchants of questionable integrity. Improving visibility (such as providing better lighting at night) has also helped to cut down on the problem.

Another issue is adults who sit on the swings in the Play Park. These tyre bucket-seats. designed to carry the weight of 14-year-olds or lighter, tear and eventually break when heavy people sit in them!

For other Queens Park issues, click here.

For Security issues, click here.