Bylaw calls up after summer crackdown
Concerned citizens didn’t exactly overload the switchboard at Penticton City Hall in response to this summer’s See Something, Say Something campaign.
But there was a clear increase in calls for service, and the city’s bylaws manager considers it a win.
“We appreciate the public’s support and have received some great feedback related to the See Something, Say Something campaign,” Tina Siebert said in an email.
“We ask that residents continue to contact us should they require bylaws assistance.”
The campaign, which encouraged people to call in their concerns to police and bylaw officers, was launched in a bid to crack down on public disorder and improve the safety and appearance of the community. Most municipal offences related to those areas, such as littering and loitering, fall under the Good Neighbour Bylaw.
Data provided to The Herald by the city showed there were 413 calls for service related to the Good Neighbour Bylaw through August, compared to 480 for all of 2017.
There were other bylaw categories, however, in which the first eight months of 2018 blew away the entire year previous.
Calls about traffic infractions jumped from 243 to 340, reported zoning offences almost doubled from 77 to 133, nuisance and noise complaints climbed from eight to 28, and private property maintenance issues spiked from one to 14.
While zoning and traffic offences weren’t direct targets of See Something, Say Something, the campaign’s focus on providing phone numbers to call for assistance may have contributed to the increases in those categories, explained Siebert.
Another key component of the effort to improve community safety was the addition of extra bylaw officers.
Compared to the summer of 2017, when just three officers would typically be on duty during regular office hours, this past summer saw as many as six at work as late as 10:30 p.m.
“We also deployed officers on bikes and several contract security companies and officers to assist with patrols in hot spot locations throughout the city to help us be able to meet public expectations of safety, security and cleanliness,” Siebert added.
“The increased bylaw officer presence and security officers I believe are a visible deterrent to some of the unlawful activities our community faces.”
She urged citizens to remain vigilant and committed to the campaign.
“It’s important that now, even as calls for service may slowly reduce over winter months, we continue with the momentum of the busy summer months in order to maintain focus on the work we are doing,” said Siebert.
The campaign wasn’t cheap, though.
City manager Peter Weeber in September pegged the cost for See Something, Say Something signage and other promotional material at $5,000, which was just part of a larger $350,000 tab that included $90,000 for private security patrols, $47,000 for RCMP overtime and $40,000 for extra bylaw staffing.
John Vassilaki, the city’s new mayor, said the campaign will be up for debate once the freshly installed council finally gets down to work.
“I’d like to see (the campaign) continue to happen, but I can’t say on my own whether we’re going to keep it,” he said Monday.