Editor:
Re: New approach to bylaw enforcement in works, Jan. 13
I was hopeful when I read this article, thinking that the contravention of bylaws was finally going to be enforceable in White Rock.
I was encouraged to see that tickets issued for bylaw infractions could be delivered “in person, or left on a car windshield — but could be sent by mail if the offender could not be easily located.”
My understanding from speaking with bylaw enforcement officers along the promenade is that they cannot compel anyone to provide identification or their address.
This necessitates a call to the RCMP.
Are bylaw officers going to be able to compel the handing over of identification by offenders? If not, ticketing will be impossible. Furthermore, it is poor use of resources to have bylaw officers who cannot give a ticket without the help of the RCMP.
I was also shocked to learn that a program that has been in operation since 2004 (18 years) in three North Shore communities is just being considered in White Rock.
I am hopeful that the dog bylaws on the promenade will be more enforceable in the future, but unless a change happens regarding compelling offenders to show identification to bylaw officers, nothing will change.
Bonnie Gillis, South Surrey