Friday May 31, 2019 ~ LANGFORD
~ West Shore Voice News
Two bylaw officers on bicycles will be out around Langford this summer, including into the evenings starting this week. That includes in park sites, on trail networks and around other public spaces. It’s an all-weather job.
In addition to spotting bylaw infractions around the neighbourhoods, the time is being taken by patrol officers to explain the reasons for a bylaw and perhaps even achieving agreement for voluntary compliance. That would be instead of simply issuing a fine or other form of enforcement.
“The bicycle patrol bylaw officers are very patient and take their time,” said Lorne Fletcher, City of Langford Manager of Community Safety and Municipal Enforcement, at the May 28 Langford Protective Services Committee meeting.
“That takes a lot of time,” said Langford Councillor Lillian Szpak who chairs the Protective Services committee. She spoke highly of the program to foster greater public bylaw compliance over the longer term.
In this form of front line field contact, the idea of explaining a bylaw and encouraging compliance without simply issuing a ticket and moving on is thought to generate more voluntary compliance in future, Fletcher explained during the meeting.
Bylaw Enforcement Officers patrol the community on a varying schedule and work closely with regulatory and safety agencies including West Shore RCMP and Langford Fire Rescue. They will assist in emergency situations, and perform traffic and crowd control as required.
They professionally provide information related to the interpretation and application of the City of Langford Bylaws and enforce bylaws through education, notices, tickets and charges.
Investigation of complaints and incidents with a goal of resolving recurring offences is also part of the job, as is maintaining notes and data for written and verbal reports.
The West Shore RCMP detachment has its own bicycle patrol unit for policing.
The Langford population — now over 40,000 — is growing steadily, fuelled by relatively affordable housing prices, increasing rental accommodation opportunities, and local jobs. With an increased population generally comes greater need for bylaw enforcement and crime prevention.