Why London police may no longer be responding to noise complaints
A joint pilot project between city hall and the London Police Service (LPS) will see municipal by-law officers respond to most noise complaints.
During the final quarter of 2022, an eight-member team of municipal noise and parking enforcement officers will respond to noise complaints 24/7.
Only noise complaints with a criminal or violent element will be directed to police officers.
The majority of calls (non-criminal in nature) would be dispatched to lower cost municipal by-law officers who divide their time between parking and noise complaints.
A report by city staff explains, “When noise complaints peak in the evenings, parking service requests are low; when parking enforcement demands are high, such as for morning school zones, noise complaints are low.”
Between 2019 and 2022, London police responded to an average of 2,700 noise complaints per year — taking a big bite out of officers’ time to respond to calls that are more serious.
The pilot requires transferring four existing parking enforcement officers from the existing group and hiring four new noise and parking enforcement officers.
A management position will also be required.
Parking services officers have a return-on-investment (ROI) of 120 to 200 per cent based on ticket revenue.
In addition to the ROI, civic administration is proposing an increase to parking fines to limit the cost to the city’s tax base.
The Community and Protective Services Committee will receive details about the pilot project on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
King Charles will attend Easter Sunday service at Windsor
Buckingham Palace officials say King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter service at the chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday.