Bylaw best when it sticks to investigating complaints

Peachland has published a 13-page brochure titled “Good Neighbour Guide - A Guide to being a good neighbour in Peachland.” I assume that the publication was prompted by the poor relationship last year’s Peachland bylaw officer had with residents.

The officer left the position stating that there was too much abuse. Peachland out-sources the bylaw enforcement position to a private security company.

This creates the incentive for the officer to write as many tickets as possible to protect his/her job and ensure that the contract is renewed.

Unfortunately this conflicts with the brochure’s statement “to resolve the matter in the best way that serves the interests of the community.”

It is sad that Peachland had to print the guide, as the advice to Peachlanders is something we all should have learned in Grade 3.

To their credit, Peachland has changed to a “complaint-driven” policy. The bylaw officer no longer searches for scofflaws, but only responds to complaints.

I am of the position that most bylaw infractions are victimless crimes. In the winter months we run our dogs off-leash in Summerland’s deserted parks. We clean up after the dogs and control them if anybody else is in the park.

Like many of my neighbours, I now have to put my garbage out the night before as it is collected before I wake up. If this ever becomes an animal nuisance problem, I am sure we would cleanup the mess and change our habit. Thankfully, Summerland enjoys a complaint-driven policy.

The highly publicized case of Penticton’s prosecution of panhandler Paul Braun is a textbook case for bylaw enforcement gone wrong.

City officials claim they just reacted to complaints about Mr. Braun’s activities. Penticton has never divulged how many complaints Mr. Braun generated. The action was justified by claiming that by letting the little things slide it would encourage “real criminals.” Some $30,000 later, how well has that turned out?

In 1990s Ontario, Premier Mike Harris enacted his “Safe Streets Act” to outlaw squeegee kids who scared suburban granny ladies by cleaning their windshields for loonies at stop lights. It was an election promise to curb Toronto gang violence! I think we can guess what activities the squeegee kids engaged in to make up for lost income.

Most right-thinking people view Mr. Braun’s panhandling as a victimless crime. Anecdotally, he was polite and not aggressive. Maybe some complainers have too much time on their hands.

I was saddened by the retirement of Rose Gringras from her position of animal control officer for Penticton and Summerland. She had a fair balance of enforcement and positive outcomes that the high-priced help at Penticton City Hall could well copy.

More bylaw nonsense in Okanagan Falls next column.

John Dorn is a retired tech entrepreneur living in Summerland