What is Municipal Law / Bylaw Enforcement?
A bylaw enforcement officer is a law enforcement employee of a municipality, county or regional district, charged with the enforcement of bylaws, rules, laws, codes or regulations enacted by local governments. Bylaw enforcement officers are often out in the community responding to complaints from the public. They often work closely with local police, as well as provincial and federal authorities.
This terminology is commonly used in North America – particularly Canada – and some other Commonwealth countries. In the Canadian province of Ontario, bylaw enforcement officers are generally titled municipal law enforcement officers, and in Newfoundland & Labrador, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, the term municipal enforcement officer is also used. Under other denominations, this kind of bylaw enforcement exists in several countries around the world.
What is the Purpose?
In a time of restrictive Municipal budgets it's cheaper for them to subcontract their services to a private entity. This saves costs on having paid duty officers or the Municipality having to provide employee training, benefits, payroll, etc. Whereas with a private entity, they pay a simple set fee, that's covers all the costs.
Municipal Services include:
- Enforcing bans
- Electronic ticketing
- Property standards
- General community safety
- Animal control services
- Parking enforcement
- Detention services
- Process serving
- Administration support
- Call-taking dispatch services