(file photo/Vernon Matters Staff)

By Liam Verster

8.6% Decline in Bylaw Files

Vernon’s bylaw complaints fell in 2024

Feb 26, 2025 | 10:52 AM

The City of Vernon saw bylaw complaint files decrease on a year-over-year basis in 2024.

A report to Vernon City Council said there were 4,463 Bylaw Compliance Calls for Service and investigated files during the latest reporting year. That marked an 8.6 per cent decline from the 4,880 calls for service and investigations in 2023.

It also was the second year in a row where calls for service declined on an annual basis, and was fewer than the calls reported in any of the previous four years.

Public calls for service made up the majority in 2024 with 2,904, followed by bylaw generated complaints (1,031), RCMP transfer or assist calls (265), and City of Vernon generated complaints (263).

The report stated 895 calls for service were generated from the downtown area, which was down from the 1,006 calls from that area the year before.

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It also noted complaints involving the unhoused population declined from 2,025 calls in 2023 to 1,394 in 2024. In that decline was a 64 per cent decrease in temporary shelter complaints within the downtown core, with 68 files in 2024 compared to 187 the year before.

In 2024, a total of 14,438 tickets associated with bylaw offences were issued in Vernon, with 73.9 per cent of them paid by the end of the year. That was down from the 14,497 tickets issued in 2023, which saw only 71.9 per cent of them paid by year’s end.

Bylaw services also ran several initiatives in 2024.

The Fire Prevention program was deemed successful in having businesses in the downtown core keep their waste inside until collection days to prevent fire risks.

Officers on proactive patrols assisted the RCMP in locating 57 people wanted on warrants.

The Service facilitated 22 small claims court actions over the year, recovering $4,500 from individuals with significant unpaid parking tickets.

Bylaw also presented an “Introduction to City of Vernon Bylaw Services” to the Vernon and District Immigrant and Community Services Society, which was reportedly well received and would be held again in 2025.

After presenting the report at the Vernon City Council meeting Monday, Feb. 24, Darren Lees, Manager of Protective Services, said Bylaw would continue its work to build and strengthen partnerships with local businesses, organizations, citizens and law enforcement, and remained committed to enhancing public safety and addressing public concerns in 2025.

Council accepted the report for information at Monday’s meeting.

At the request of council, Lees did state Bylaw could try to track the trends in certain problem or notable areas to determine if complaints were going up or down in those spots in 2025.