(ADOBE STOCK / iNFOnews.ca)
February 04, 2024 - 12:00 PM
Bylaw officers in Penticton were granted more power in 2023 and the service has released a map showing areas of the city where they respond to the most calls.
The city's bylaw service annual report is going to city council on Tuesday, Feb. 6, including a map showing where in the city complaints were most frequent.
“There are increased calls in the downtown core, near the hospital and near supportive housing facilities, primarily Compass Shelter,” the report said.
Heat map showing hot spots for bylaw calls in Penticton.
Image Credit: Penticton Bylaw Services - Penticton City Council
In 2021, there were fewer than 5,000 calls to bylaw officers and in 2022 and 2023 there were nearly 8,000.
The Safe Public Places bylaw, passed in June 2023, gave Community Safety Officers the authority to enforce laws on publicly accessible but privately owned land such as businesses.
“This response option has allowed for more support to businesses throughout the city and alleviated some non-criminal calls for service to the RCMP such as loitering, drug use,
solicitation, etc.,” the report said.
The new bylaw accounted for 2,000 of the 7,808 calls received by bylaw services in 2023.
Penticton is hosting the bylaw officer conference in March where hundreds of bylaw officers and public safety employees get together to train.
“This will be an opportunity to showcase the work underway in Penticton and learn from colleagues across the province,” the report said.
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