FEATURED COMMENT – Kamloops saw the warning signs 20+ years ago
An editorial by Jimmy Johal. This post appeared on Johal’s Facebook page, Your Ideas Media:
In 2003, the city council actually listened to the community’s tears. Under Mayor Mel Rothenburger, the City of Kamloops adopted Panhandling Bylaw No. 24-38, 2003, which was a definitive piece of legislation designed to protect public spaces. That past council worked hard to establish real enforcement tools, including a strict ban on panhandling near banks, ATMs, liquor stores, bus stops, and active roadways.
They did their job. Today’s leadership has completely forgotten the past work.
More than twenty years later, that bylaw still sits on the books, rendered useless by political apathy. Residents routinely watch panhandling directly beneath posted warning signs, while local business owners are forced to bolt bars to windows and roll down $20,000 security shutters at closing time.
Has the current council completely forgotten the hard work of their predecessors, or is this sheer ignorance of their own laws? Do the new Community Safety Officers (CSOs) even know what a bylaw is?
Once at a community safety meeting back in 2018, frustrated, I joked, “We put our workers and customers behind bars, but not the criminals.” Years later, nobody is laughing. The taxpayers who build and fund this community deserve to feel safe in it.
The 2003 council proved that leadership can hear citizens’ concerns and take action. The question remains: what will tomorrow’s Kamloops council do?
ArmchairMayor.ca 
A panhandling bylaw doesn’t really do much to protect the public since panhandling is really not a dangerous activity undermining public safety. Use of electric scooters, electric bicycles and electric dirt bikes disguised as “bicycles” ridden on public sidewalks and other public places are way more dangerous than panhandling ever will. Furthermore, driving in excess of 30/km/hour on residential streets is also a much more dangerous activity undermining public safety than panhandling ever will. While it is true that the current council is totally inept previous ones were not much better on the topics mentioned above.
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