— Town & RCMP working closely to keep beaches safe —
(OSOYOOS TIMES — August 1, 2007) —
By Chad IngramrnOsoyoos Times
This summer the Town and the RCMP are working more closely than ever to ensure that Osoyoos' beaches stay safe, and it appears the initiative is having a positive effect.
In regard to park enforcement, the Town contracts with a local firm that has one of three personnel patrolling all the Town parks for six hours per day, seven days a week, said Helen Koning, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the Town of Osoyoos.
That firm is Marshall & Daniels Security, run by Osoyoos bylaw enforcement officer Steve Marshall and business partner Steve Daniels. They patrol Pioneer Walkway, as well as the Lions, Kinsmen, Cottonwood, Legion and Gyro beaches.
Daniels is commonly responsible for the night patrol, which he says begins at 10:30 p.m. and usually runs until 2:30 or 3 a.m., or whenever is necessary.
We lock down all the parks, clear the parks of transients and whatever, Daniels said. You wouldn't believe what's out there at night.rnHe said the bandshell at Gyro Beach is a common hangout for young people to drink and smoke, and shooing them out of the shell is practically a nightly chore. Daniels said his approach is non-aggressive, and people are generally co-operative.
I just ask them to move along, get out of my jurisdiction, he said. We were all young once.rnDaniels explained that most of the raucous activity that occurs at night is alcohol-related, which is to be expected in a tourist town like Osoyoos.
It's pretty much fights, noise and alcohol, he said, adding that serious crime is rare. He added that incidents of alcohol-induced stupidity are not uncommon though.
Last summer we had one guy run down from the pub (Lady on the Lake), run and dive off the dock, not realizing that the water there is only about two feet deep, Daniels said. He broke his collar bone, managed to get back up and lay down by the pub. He was a big guy, probably 300 lbs., and it took like six of us to load him into the ambulance.rnAnd while most bylaw-breakers move along peacefully when asked, Daniels said he was beaten up pretty badly one night last summer.
I'm too old for that crap, he added.
For this reason, he's glad that this year, for the first time, the Town and RCMP have decided to combine and co-ordinate their efforts in patrolling Osoyoos' beaches.
Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski is Commander of the Osoyoos-Oliver RCMP detachment.
Anytime you have a visible pattern, people are going to abuse it, Lozinski said, explaining the RCMP try to be unpredictable with their surveillance of Osoyoos' beaches. A lot of time it's (trouble) on 'hotel row', and a lot of responsibility is placed on the owners.rnHe said business-owners should act as the RCMP's eyes and ears, and should should call the police whenever they see anything raucous or suspicious.
Lozinski also said working with the Town seems to be having a positive effect on beach mischief.
Calls have decreased in this area, he said. In the past, we haven't worked as closely with the bylaw people, and the improvement has been excellent. We've made some huge steps.
