Risk Analysis Report
Province Announces Comprehensive Police Act Amendments to Enhance Public Safety
The Local Government Compliance and Enforcement Association of BC (LGCEA) extends support for amendments to the Police Act that received Royal Assent on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
The Local Government Compliance and Enforcement Association of BC (LGCEA) invites interested Indigenous Communities that have or are considering the implementation of compliance & enforcement programs to participate in its Indigenous Compliance & Enforcement Standing Committee.
Read Full Media Release: 2024-01-15 Media Release
The Local Government Compliance and Enforcement Association of BC (LGCEA) Extends Support for New Legislation Prohibiting Drug Consumption in Public Spaces (2023-Oct-19)
Read Full Media Release: 2023-10-19 Media Release
The Local Government Compliance and Enforcement Association (LGCEA) is proud to announce a name change to Local Government Compliance & Enforcement Association of BC (LGCEA). (2023-Aug-24)
Read Full Media Release: LGCEA Media Release 2023-08-24.pdf
LGCEA's response to the Final Report and Recommendations from the Special Committee on Transforming Policing and Community in British Columbia (2022-May-05)
The Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act released their report: Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia with 11 recommendations to transform policing and community. In total, 411 organizations and individuals from across the province made presentations and written submissions to the Committee during the public consultation, including LGCEA. The Association submitted and presented on tiered law enforcement models found in other jurisdictions in Canada.
Read full Media Release: LGCEA Media Release - Transforming Policing and Public Safety in BC (2).pdf
This Media Release is in relation to comments made by Minister Adrian Dix and media statements related to Vaccination Passports and COVID-19 PHO enforcement. (2021-Sept-13)
Bylaw officers throughout British Columbia are concerned about Minister Adrian Dix’s recent statement: “this will get enforced…some of them through bylaw officers” as it relates to the enforcement of COVID-19 Vaccination Passports. Throughout the pandemic, bylaw officers have not been provided with adequate information, training, PPE or the authority to enforce Public Health Orders (PHO) in BC. Unlike other provinces, bylaw officers in BC have not been provided with provincial act enforcement capabilities; with the exception of the short-lived ability to enforce Price Gouging (MO084). The provincial government has essentially mandated that bylaw officers assist through education, with little to no communication or consultation with the Association or local governments. While bylaw officers have attended to COVID-19 related concerns, the provincial government has not supported local governments with the deployment and utilization of provincial staff with provincial act enforcement capabilities (i.e. conservation officers, cannabis inspectors, gaming investigators, and liquor and licencing officers, etc.). The province’s choice to not have their staff attend to COVID-19 related matters in communities has resulted in a downloading of workloads to resource limited bylaw departments.
Many bylaw departments and their officers have found out about changing PHO through the media, much the same way as the general public. This has often resulted in confusion about updated Orders, including interpretation, implementation and enforcement. Bylaw officers have essentially become “COVID-19 first responder” as other agencies, including police services have deferred most PHO concerns to bylaw departments. This has been compounded by mis-information provided to the general public throughout the pandemic related to bylaw officers authority, resulting in expectations that has created confusion and frustration by both the public and bylaw departments.
Bylaw officers have served the province, local governments, and the public in the best way they could; primarily through education given the limited information and tools they have been provided since the beginning of the pandemic.
With recent protests and events related to COVID-19, mandatory masks in public spaces and Vaccination Passports, having bylaw officers attend to calls for service expose bylaw officers to undue risk of both verbal and physical abuse.
We strongly believe that bylaw officers should not be responding to calls related to COVID-19 Vaccination Passport and mandatory masks in public places until adequate information, training, PPE and authority is provided to enforce such PHO. Until that time, complaints related to
Passports and other PHO should be deferred to local policing authority of jurisdiction or provincial departments that have enforcement authority.
Amending BC’s Police Act: LGCEA Submission to the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act (2021-April)
The Local Government Compliance and Enforcement Association of British Columbia (LGCEA) represents Bylaw Enforcement Officers (BEO) throughout British Columbia (BC), as well as First Nations members, and advocates for policies, programs and legislation that support its membership’s and local government’s needs since 1970. The Police Act is of importance to local governments and our membership, as it specifically relates to BEO, community safety and its financial impacts. In June 2020, Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, announced the Province’s intent to review the Police Act. The all-party Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act provides an opportunity for the Province to work with local governments and other key stakeholders as part of a comprehensive review of public safety in BC. This submission will include information and ideas that support overall public safety, efficiency, effectiveness and fiscal responsibility.
Read Full Article: LGCEA Submission to Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act.pdf
Uniform Dog Attack Data (UDAD) Survey (2022-February)
In British Columbia, there is no uniform tracking of dog attacks, reporting procedures or best practices in place to ensure consistency and quality control of data collection related to dog attacks. Without standardization and consistent dog attack reporting and sharing of information between agencies, bylaw services departments, the public, and media will continue to reply on inconsistent and inaccurate data and information.
It is important for dog attack reports to be accurate and complete, as this information is critical for public safety issues, dog bite evaluations, community education, dog attack prevention, and policy review and implementation. This is especially true for pit bull types/mixes that are facing controversial breed specific legislation (BSL) in several local governments in British Columbia.
Read Full Article: 2022 Uniform Dog Attack Data (UDAD)