Return of the park keeper....but with a modern twist
IF we put on our rose-tinted spectacles we can look back to a time when park rangers had a cheery word for everyone – even picking up the odd spot of litter.
But the “parkie” on patrol became all but extinct a few decades ago, with only a few rare sightings in the Nineties.
Now they’re back – with police-style “head cams” – in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour in yobbish Britain.
In a tell-tale sign of a far more fearful society these days, the new rangers wear the head-mounted cameras to catch troublemaking thugs and petty criminals in the act.
Under a clampdown, in Dartford, Kent, teams of rangers are patrolling parks, playgrounds and cemeteries.
“The days of giving a clip round the ear may be gone, but the new rangers will be highly visible,” said Dartford Council leader Jeremy Kite.
He added: “There are far too many stupid gimmicks when it comes to law and order and sometimes the old-fashioned ideas work best.
“When I was a kid the presence of a park keeper not only made me feel safer but kept me and my mates in line.”
Carley Vaughan, one of the new rangers, said: “The council leader wanted to bring back the parkies he remembered from his own childhood and it’s been really successful.
The days of giving a clip round the ear have gone
“Although we’ve updated a little with new technology, we’re still doing all the things that kept him in line and kept him safe when he was a kid.”
The new rangers wear a much more practical uniform, too. Blue trousers and polo shirts have replaced the old rather ill-fitting brown suits and jaunty hats.
Budget cuts saw the parkie almost vanish in the Seventies and were phased out by most councils by the Nineties.