No crime in Mid Sussex '˜Park Mark' car parks, reports council

Park Mark status is awarded to car park operators who help to deter criminal activity, anti-social behaviour and reduce the fear of crime.

Mid Sussex District Council has 17 car parks that meet the Park Mark standard and last year’s excellent statistics were highlighted in a recent ‘Park Mark’ assessment.

Each year the 17 Mid Sussex District Council car parks are checked by the British Parking Association and a Sussex Police Accredited Assessor against a strict set of safety and security measures.

Following the assessment, all 17 car parks once again retained their Park Mark status.

The car parks have been recognised as examples of excellent parking design and will proudly display the ‘Park Mark’ sign of quality for the next 12 months.

The independent assessor declared that all the car parks had measures in place to deter criminal activity and create a safer environment for both the public and their vehicles.

Direction markings are clear and all 17 car parks are visible and well lit at night.

The pay machines are secure, frequently emptied and there are plenty of clearly marked walkways to keep pedestrians out of danger.

The trees and shrubs that enhance the appearance of the car parks are well maintained so they don’t obscure signs, kerbs or surface markings and every car park is frequently inspected by Civil Enforcement Officers.
Together, all of these measures help to reduce the opportunity for crime and that has been backed up by the incredibly low crime figures for 2013/14. 
“Each year, around 1.4 million vehicles pass through the 17 Mid Sussex District Council car parks with the ‘Park Mark’ and not one of our customers reported a crime last year.” said Councillor Gary Marsh, Cabinet Member for Property and Economic Development.

“That demonstrates just how effective the Park Mark scheme can be at deterring crime and creating safer environments for our residents.

“Mid Sussex District Council is a strong supporter of the Park Mark scheme and we work hard to make our car parks as safe and secure as possible for motorists. I’m delighted that our hard work is paying off and we are now experiencing such extremely low levels of crime.”

Mike Bibby, Area Manager for the British Parking Association said: “It gives me great pleasure, once again, to commend Mid Sussex District Council on this achievement and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all personnel involved. Users of these facilities can be confident the council is making every effort to ensure their safety and that of their vehicles is taken seriously, which is reflected in the lack of any incidents of crime being recorded”.

The ‘Park Mark’ is part of the UK Police flagship initiative ‘Secured by Design’ that promotes crime reduction through effective design and security standards in public buildings, roadways, footpaths and car parks as well as private houses.