Bylaw complaints
How to lodge a complaint and what to expect when you do
If you have a bylaw complaint or have witnessed or know of a bylaw infraction, you have two options. You can make your complaint in person at the RCMP detachment at 911 Bison Way in Sherwood Park, or call us at (780) 449-0170.
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When you make the complaint, we will ask you your full name and address, and a phone number where we can reach you at home, at work and/or on cell. (This information is kept confidential.)
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In the body of the statement taken by the officer, describe:
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the situation you wish to report. Provide the names of all involved (if known), date(s), day(s) of the week, month, year and time(s) the event or activity occurred.
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the address or location where the event occurred
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what you saw or heard, providing as much detail as you can to describe the matter you are reporting. For example, if you are reporting a barking dog, we will ask you to start a log to record dates and times, and to identify the dog.
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the action you wish taken
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Once we receive the complaint, we will dispatch a Peace Officer. On occasion, when a Peace Officer is not on duty, an RCMP Officer may deal with your complaint. This would normally occur late at night for complaints such as excessive noise from loud parties.
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Complaints are responded to on a priority basis. Response time will depend on availability of personnel at the time of the call, and the priority of your complaint compared with other calls received by the unit.
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If your complaint is not urgent, we may ask for your assistance. For example, if you have found a stray dog and a Peace Officer is not available, we may ask if you will:
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keep the dog until an officer is available
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take the dog to the Humane Society yourself
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drop the dog off at the RCMP Detachment
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The Peace Officer assigned to your complaint will take action based on your wishes in concert with the evidence available. Insufficient evidence would result in no prosecution. In such instances, a warning may be issued.
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Your complaint along with all the information you provide will be kept on file and assigned to a Peace Officer, who will keep the complaint file open until the matter is resolved.
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During the course of an investigation, you may be asked to provide a written statement of what you observed. You may also be asked if you would be willing to testify in court. Your testimony would be essential if you want to have a charge laid where a Peace Officer has not personally witnessed the infraction. If you are not willing to provide a statement or testify in court, a charge will not be laid. In these cases a warning to the offender(s) is a normal course of action.
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At the conclusion of an investigation, the Peace Officer will contact you to let you know what action was taken and the final outcome.
Further information
Strathcona County Enforcement Services 780-449-0170
Strathcona County RCMP Detachment
911 Bison Way
Sherwood Park, Alberta T8H 1S9
Office hours
Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you have an urgent complaint outside of these hours, call the RCMP complaint line at
780-467-7741.
Strathcona County Enforcement Services
911 Bison Way Sherwood Park, Alberta T8H 1S9
780-449-0170
info@strathcona.ca
Last updated: Friday, October 19, 2012
Page ID: 3579