(File photo credit: City of Kelowna)

By Pete McIntyre

RCMP and bylaw officers

Kelowna rolls out safety measures in time for unofficial start of summer

May 19, 2021 | 1:45 PM

The City of Kelowna is assuring residents it is doing everything it can to keep its residents safe this summer.

“Victoria Day long weekend is the unofficial start to summer in Kelowna. And that means a lot of people getting outside to enjoy our great city and beautiful public spaces,” said Mayor Colin Basran in a new video message to residents.

Basran pointed out six new officers have been added to the RCMP’s Community Safety Unit (CSU), expanding the unit from 21 to 27 officers, adding a senior officer to their ranks, increasing the number of officers on foot patrol from two to six and augmenting them to run seven days per week. The expanded CSU will increase police visibility and responsiveness in priority areas, including downtown, Rutland, and in parks and public spaces throughout the city.

“These new positions were approved by City Council in the 2020 budget and we look forward to the impact they will have on crime and the public’s sense of safety in Kelowna,” Community Safety Director Darren Caul said. “While this is an important step forward that reflects Kelowna’s fast-paced population growth, adding more police resources is only one of several steps we are taking to enhance community safety.”

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Another measure is the City Bylaw Services Community Response Unit which has four full-time officers patrolling by car, bike and all-terrain vehicle on the Rail Trail, Knox Mountain and in other parks and public spaces. They respond to parking, abandoned vehicles, shopping carts and other nuisance issues, and work closely with the RCMP CSU. The city also has a private security contractor patrolling downtown on foot, bike and car, with constant communication and coordination from the Kelowna Security Operations Centre.

The city’s graffiti team has been enhanced with a second full-time employee, expanding its mandate beyond graffiti remediation to include shopping cart and sharps (e.g. syringes) collection and expanding service from five to seven days per week.

Starting May long weekend, Safety Education Ambassadors will once again be present in popular outdoor spaces in Kelowna, including beaches, parks, sports fields and waterfront areas. The Ambassador Program was quickly rolled out last summer following a rise in local COVID cases around the Canada Day long weekend.

“Last year our ambassadors played an important role with over 9,000 interactions over the six weeks they were out in the community, and we found that people were responsive and willing to adjust their behaviour with simple friendly reminders,” Lance Kayfish, Risk Manager for the City of Kelowna, said. “Once again the ambassadors’ role in our more popular spaces will be to monitor, educate and encourage the public to make smart choices while pandemic restrictions are still in play.”

In addition to pandemic safety, park and beach visitors are reminded that all Kelowna parks are smoke-free and that any type of outdoor wood burning, including campfires, whether in a park or in a backyard, is not permitted at any time in Kelowna.

Who to call, when to call

If you see criminal or nuisance behaviour, please report it.