Community unites to clean up Davoren Park as part of new Elizabeth Police program Swallowcliffe Primary students Lachlan, Tasmin and Nikolas are part of the PACT Clean Up Project group where Neighborhood Police team are working with businesses, the school and community in a 3 month clean up project to beautify the streets around Davoren Park. COMMUNITY pride is at the heart of a police-led program to clean up the streets of Davoren Park. Police and Communities Together (PACT) launched last week with support from Playford Council, local community groups, businesses and Swallowcliffe Primary. Elizabeth Neighbourhood Policing Team Senior Constable Jason Hill said the key to its success was getting locals, particularly youth, involved and taking ownership of their community. "If you do it collaboratively you see an impact," Sen-Constable Hill said. You go into an area and beautify it ... with a view of trying to instil a bit of pride into the community, so they actually appreciate it and like where they live. PACT will create working groups to clean, paint and plant shrubs and saplings in the area bordered by Peachey, Swallowcliffe, Fordingbridge and Easton roads. It is based on the "broken window" theory, which shows if people live in run-down areas, they are less likely to report vandalism or put effort into beautifying their environment. A pilot program ran last year in Mandeville St, with about 70 neighbours taking part. "We did a big mural which hasn't been graffitied because the kids did it," Sen-Constable Hill said. They took pride in it because they did it themselves and that's the whole idea. PACT has set up a base at Davoren Park Shopping Centre which also will be a community centre during the three-month program. Sen-Constable Hill said regular activities, such as movie nights and pool competitions, would also be run from the centre. He said the project would help break down barriers between police and the community as they worked side by side. Resident of 51 years Betty Alberton, 70, took part in the project to clean up Mandeville St and is part of the PACT project team. Ms Alberton said the project created a sense of pride and brought neighbours together. "You feel part of the community and you feel like you're wanted," Ms Alberton said. Swallowcliffe Primary principal Grant Small said the project would create a safer environment for children and more ownership of shared spaces from the community. Student, Tamsin, 5, has been practising cleaning up at school in preparation. "We put our gloves on and if we don't have our gloves, we wash our hands after," Tamsin said. I don't want people dropping all yucky wrappers on the ground. I like it clean. Resident Tanya Davidson, 43, said she was keen to get involved after finding out about the project on Facebook. "It (the area) needs a major clean up," Ms Davidson said. This will give more hope to the local people that the police will help us. For information about PACT visit Davoren Park Shopping Centre, Peachey Rd, or call Elizabeth Neighbourhood Police on 8207 9411 For more news on the north, pick up a copy of the Northern Messenger, read our digital edition online, or become a fan of our Facebook page.