FILE PHOTO - Penticton bylaw officer Glenn Duffield places a discarded needle in a sharps container while Darren Calibaba looks on in the background.

(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)

Between administering Narcan and making sure nobody mows their lawn before 7 a.m., Penticton bylaw deals with a wide range of local issues.

The duties of the officers have expanded significantly over the past decade, largely in response to the opioid crisis and housing crisis. And don't forget COVID. 

When Tina Mercier, the head of Penticton's bylaw department, was first hired onto the team in 2014, there were only two general bylaw officers, she recalls.

The landscape of criminal activity in the city has changed dramatically over Mercier's tenure. During her first year, the local RCMP reported 3,924 incidents. That number had more than doubled by 2019 when there were 8,595 incidents.

Today there are six general bylaw officers, two dispatchers, three animal control officers, and eight community safety officers.

“We’ve grown the department immensely and it’s been very successful,” Mercier said.

The bylaw team is now getting trained on topics like case law, overdose response, and the psychology of trauma.

“Training that wasn’t available years ago,” Mercier said.

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It’s a heavy load of extra responsibility that wasn't originally part of the job description.

“It’s definitely evolved and shifted drastically.”

Mercier said the most unfortunate part about having to administer Narcan is how often officers are saving the same few people.

“Because they’re making those same decisions over and over, the feeling of defeat is experienced for us. We want to help these people but they’re not willing to help themselves. One of the hard parts about drug addiction.”

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FILE PHOTO - Penticton bylaw officers Darren Calibaba and Glenn Duffield patrolling a portion of the Penticton River path near Creekside Road.

(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)

But at the end of the day, they do what they can to minimize the number of fatalities in the community.

“It’s hard work and our team gets drained because it is very taxing on ourselves.”

Despite the new and intense responsibilities that were assumed, bylaw officers have to know how to adapt, Mercier said – be it the scope of their job, or dealing with any immediate situation.

“Discretion is always there and is always needed to be considered based on that person’s situation in that moment,” Mercier said. “Some people, when we come across them, they’re not in their best state. They’re having a challenging day or moment, or challenging series of moments. And we try to help them get them connected to resources – sometimes that’s just a neighbour.”

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A whole new set of challenges was thrown on the laps of bylaw officers as a result of the pandemic, and officers became tasked with enforcing public health orders.

“COVID really came out of left field. No one knew how to deal with it in the beginning,” she said. “It was very challenging at times, having that added to our plate.”

But despite the pandemic, opioid crisis and housing crisis – Mercier said Penticton’s general bylaw officers still have time to address minor issues, such as parking infractions and noise complaints.

One thing that’s made life easier for bylaw officers was council’s decision to sanction liquor consumption on some public beaches.

“I think it was happening anyways,” Mercier conceded.

Now there are designated times and locations where it is legal to drink in Penticton.

“It’s a good program, it was a good move for our community.”

Mercier’s leadership has been recognized by the province. She was awarded the Kuo Cup – the honour given to the best bylaw officer in B.C. She was named the province’s top bylaw officer for 2020, but the presentation only happened last month due to pandemic restrictions.

“It feels good to be appreciated that way,” she said.

However, the award is a reflection of the efforts of Penticton’s entire bylaw team, not just Mercier, she said.

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Penticton bylaw services manager Tina Mercier, centre, was presented the Kuo Cup by Penticton CAO Donny van Dyk, left, and Mayor John Vassilaki.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/City of Penticton

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