Number and Trend of Cases of Thefts and Vandalism of Community Gardens in Last Five Years and Measures and Public Education Programmes in Place
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Gan Thiam Poh’s inquiry regarding the trend of theft and vandalism in community gardens and the measures implemented to address such incidents. Minister Desmond Lee stated that NParks has received infrequent feedback on these issues and noted that gardeners can report incidents to local committees or the police. Deterrence measures include installing signage to manage harvest requests and using community refrigerators to share excess produce freely with other residents. NParks also encourages outreach events like open houses and harvest gatherings to foster community appreciation and build stronger neighborhood relationships. These efforts aim to ensure community gardens remain vibrant shared spaces that are enjoyed respectfully and amicably by all residents.
Transcript
37 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many cases of thefts and vandalism of community gardens have been reported in the last five years, (b) whether there has been a rising trend; (c) whether there are measures to make it easier for the gardeners to make reports; and (d) what measures and public education programmes are in place to deter and reduce these crimes.
Mr Desmond Lee: NParks has only received infrequent feedback on theft and vandalism in community gardens over the last five years. As community gardens are shared gardening spaces set up and managed by the community, gardeners have the option of reporting such incidents to their Residents’ Committee (for public estates) or Neighbourhood Committee (for private estates), or making a police report.
To allow both gardeners and other residents to enjoy community gardens respectfully and amicably, some community gardens have signs to encourage residents to contact the gardeners should they wish to request for plants or their harvest. Some community gardeners also work with the People’s Association to install community refrigerators, to allow gardeners to freely share excess harvests with other residents.
NParks also encourages community gardeners to hold regular outreach events to allow other residents to appreciate the efforts and hard work that goes into these spaces, and to build stronger relationships within the community. Such events include garden open houses, gatherings to share harvests, and gatherings to grow common edible plants for the community to freely harvest. By working together, community gardening groups can ensure that their gardens continue to serve as shared spaces that beautify and add vibrancy to our neighbourhoods.