A Weekly Wednesday patrol in Tokai forest is going strong, with partnering NPOs and neighbourhood watches showing love to their fellow partners, all pulling together to ensure that visitors may walk the forest freely without fear.
Last Wednesday (13 September), patrols were shared on Parkscape’s Facebook page, stating: “Lovely, as always, to meet up with members of Tokai Neighbourhood Crime Watch, KCW (Kirstenhof Crime Watch) and Parkscape out on patrol in #TokaiForest. Wonderful to share good camaraderie, have a laugh, enjoy our beautiful nature sanctuary, and build community knowing that we are working together to improve safety in the area.”
Parkscape’s chair, Nicky Schmidt, informed People’s Post that the weekly patrol is hosted by the Tokai Neighbourhood Crime Watch and that this initiative compliments their mission to retain recreational spaces and keep them safe.
“That particular patrol is organised by the Tokai Neighbourhood Crime Watch and we support that. It’s a community walk that takes place in the suburbs of Tokai, which includes the parameters of the plantation. Parkscape members and KCW members usually join this exercise.”
Once a month, Parkscape also hosts a joint patrol or Visibility Walk with one of their security providers, and every month different security providers join based on a rotational roster.
“At the end of each month, we do a joint visibility safety patrol joined, not only by security providers, but the police, sometimes the metro equestrian unit, the local neigbourhood watches, sometimes police reservists if available and our own members, supporters and security team,” Schmidt detailed.
Generally, Schmidt added, there are great turnouts of participants which is subject to all the various stakeholders’ availability.
“It’s a very popular activity and thing to do. People come along, they go for a walk, we provide the visibility and we stop for coffee at the Secret Forest Cafe and then continue on the patrol.
The chair of Kirstenhof Crime Watch (KCW) Kyle Clark weighed in on the importance of these patrols and what it means to local neighbourhood watches.
“I just think it’s fantastic to see so many people always coming together to assist and create awareness. We live in a world of fear and with all the beautiful green belts and forests that we have, it would be a shame if we can’t enjoy them safely,” shared Clark.
