Police, bylaw bump floated

Photo: Colin Dacre

Supt. Ted de Jager at Penticton council last week

The City of Penticton is proposing increased spending in its bylaw department next year and the addition of a new RCMP officer for the local detachment.

The city’s 2018 draft budget released this week outlines $65,000 in new money for an additional full-time bylaw officer.

Chief financial officer Jim Bauer said the funding will allow for a dedicated officer for traffic infractions and the conversion of a part-time position to full-time that will help streamline complaints coming into the department.

The city’s three-person bylaw unit has had plenty of work thrown at its feet this year. Last month a local landlord told council he thought the department was unequipped to deal with problem homes in the city.

This summer, residents bemoaned the lack of enforcement for non-smoking bylaws on public beaches. Complaints about vagrancy have also been burying city hall.

The new bylaw officer will be offset by about $30,000 in revenue due to increased enforcement.

The city is also looking to fulfill a request from the Penticton RCMP to increase the municipal police force by an additional officer to 46 at the cost of $150,000.

The Penticton RCMP approached council in January with plans to increase the local officer count to 49 by 2020-21.

“We are seeing increased issues and concerns of some of the crime rates going up,” Bauer said Thursday. “There are concerns within the community so I think establishing a stronger policing presence is useful.”

The City of Penticton is proposing to spend $9.3 million on policing next year, which accounts for about 27 cents of every property tax dollar collected.

The city is holding three public input sessions Nov. 22 to 25 for residents to view the draft 2018 budget and offer opinions. Council budget talks take place Nov. 28 to 30.