In a move described as “crucial” to enforcing some of White Rock’s bylaws, council has appointed three animal control and bylaw enforcement officers.
B.J. Wyman, Samdeep Thandi and Tony Scherba were named to the posts at the May 9 council meeting.
The move follows a decision to not renew a contract with Commissionaires BC, which had provided bylaw and animal-control services to the city since 1989. The latest contract expired April 30.
City officials told Peace Arch News last month that the switch to putting city employees in the positions will give the city better control over the officers’ training, and the officers more power to enforce the city’s rules.
The Commissionaires could not issue tickets for dogs on the beach, require individuals to produce identification or deal sufficiently with dangerous dogs without the assistance of RCMP, said Paul Stanton, the city’s director of planning and development services.
While they provided a valuable service in terms of parking enforcement, “it was always at the expense of bylaw enforcement,” Stanton said.
Coun. Al Campbell described the move as “long overdue.”
“We’ve got to give our people the tools to do the job and I believe they now have the tools,” he said.