Say What, Paul Blart, Mall Cop

Gemini · 10-08-2012, 08:09 PM

This is all we need: more wannabees...............................

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...888/story.html

SP59 · 11-08-2012, 12:01 AM

I agree. It seems like an easier way for a property owner (such as a condo association) to protect their parking lots from abuse and jerks rather than having to call bylaw.

Mla · 11-08-2012, 01:43 AM

Very rude of you Gemini. You'd rather the city spend more money hiring Paladin Security guards?

Gord Lacey · 11-08-2012, 07:57 AM

It's great, the city gets ticket revenue without having to pay anyone. Good job, city!

Gemini · 11-08-2012, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mla

Very rude of you Gemini. You'd rather the city spend more money hiring Paladin Security guards?

I would rather have the city have their Peace/ Bylaw/ Police Officers deal with this rather than a rag tag team of civilians doing this. Right there, three levels of policing and they want volunteers to do this. What form of compensation do these volunteers get if they pick the wrong person to ticket. Let's say they get one heck of a beating. Who is going to pay there bills if they miss work, or worse yet, are unable to return to work. The majority of people would think twice if an officer gave them a ticket but there are a fair amount of hot heads out there who would lash out if it was some civilian giving them a ticket. What recourse for these volunteers if they get beating to a pulp.

howie · 12-08-2012, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gord Lacey

It's great, the city gets ticket revenue without having to pay anyone. Good job, city!

Yeah, and breed the 'snitch' mentality. Nice going, CofE.

Gord Lacey · 12-08-2012, 08:00 AM

If these volunteers are sworn in as a peace officer (with restricted powers), it would be the same as if you hit a cop.

Mla · 12-08-2012, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mla

Very rude of you Gemini. You'd rather the city spend more money hiring Paladin Security guards?

I would rather have the city have their Peace/ Bylaw/ Police Officers deal with this rather than a rag tag team of civilians doing this. Right there, three levels of policing and they want volunteers to do this. What form of compensation do these volunteers get if they pick the wrong person to ticket. Let's say they get one heck of a beating. Who is going to pay there bills if they miss work, or worse yet, are unable to return to work. The majority of people would think twice if an officer gave them a ticket but there are a fair amount of hot heads out there who would lash out if it was some civilian giving them a ticket. What recourse for these volunteers if they get beating to a pulp.

Alot of the volunteers are peace/ security officers. Like that girl who works for NAIT in the article. She is a peace officer but she works for NAIT, which is a private property, so in order for her to be able to give out COE parking bylaw tickets she has to be part of the volunteer program. Same goes with WEM Security Officers, Kingsway Security and so on.

They aren't paid by the city so by city standards they are "volunteers" even though they are being paid. At the same time there are REAL volunteers in Edmonton who are part of condo boards and whatnot but they are all lumped into the same category.

Mla · 12-08-2012, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gord Lacey

If these volunteers are sworn in as a peace officer (with restricted powers), it would be the same as if you hit a cop.

Yes

Gemini · 12-08-2012, 12:32 PM

What does it matter what these volunteers do for an actual living. When you volunteer to do a job and you get injured Workers Comp is not going to support you. The city has three levels of policing that are paid fair compensation for the work they do. Now on top of that they want volunteers to hand out tickets. Geez, why not get the mail man to to this type of thing when they are delivering mail or ask bus drivers to step of the bus if they see infractions.

The city getting people to collect revenue for them while also policing areas without paying them is nervy to say the least. A one day course and a swearing in ceremony is hardly a law enforcement course.

Sonic Death Monkey · 12-08-2012, 01:15 PM

As usual, Gemini, you blow things out of proportion.

Bylaw only has so many people, and they can't be everywhere at once. And I'd rather see the po po go after the real criminals instead of writing parking tickets.

They don't allow just any schmuck off the street the ability to write parking tickets. These are usually given to those who are already paid for the responsibility to enforce parking by the property owner - mall security, Impark employees, etc. So these being "volunteers" is a misnomer in the article.

My condo manager has the ability to write tickets to those who park illegally at my building. That includes infractions covered in city bylaws and our condo bylaws. He has the salary, benefits, WCB coverage etc covered by my condo association, so he's not a volunteer. I've had douchebags park their rig rockets in front of the parkade door, on the lawn, and in my parkade stall (which I own), so any type of enforcement in my building is good.

In fact, this has been in place for several years now, it's not a new thing.

Mla · 12-08-2012, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini

What does it matter what these volunteers do for an actual living. When you volunteer to do a job and you get injured Workers Comp is not going to support you. The city has three levels of policing that are paid fair compensation for the work they do. Now on top of that they want volunteers to hand out tickets. Geez, why not get the mail man to to this type of thing when they are delivering mail or ask bus drivers to step of the bus if they see infractions.

The city getting people to collect revenue for them while also policing areas without paying them is nervy to say the least. A one day course and a swearing in ceremony is hardly a law enforcement course.

They aren't volunteering in the sense that they go off on their own time (off days) and writing tickets. They are "volunteers" to the city while working at whatever job they do. To use the NAIT Peace Officer again for example she would only write parking tickets while she is working and only on her property and she would still be considered a volunteer even though she is being paid by NAIT. She wouldn't write tickets while she is on her way home or if she is not working.

P.S. Their authority is restricted to only a couple of sections in the bylaw as well.

EveB · 12-08-2012, 07:08 PM

Put me down as thinking this could be a sensible arrangement as well. As Mla states, this is not a situation where random volunteers write tickets on random property. I've seen situation with, say, large landlords, where parking is almost impossible to control. The scofflaws know that on private property, penalizing them can be surprisingly difficult for reasons given earlier in this thread.

I can see where the "volunteer" would be the caretaker or the security staff of an apartment building. Once the ticket is written, then it becomes the city's job to make sure the scofflaw pays. In many cases, like the NAIT example, the emphasis is not on revenue generation but on controlling parking in as expeditious manner as possible. In the case of landlords, it is to reduce the aggravation of having to placate tenants whose parking spaces get routinely occupied by people who are not them.

And if it make some money for the city, I'm ok with that too.

Eve

10-08-2012, 08:09 PM	#1
Gemini Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Edmonton	Say What, Paul Blart, Mall Cop This is all we need: more wannabees............................... http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...888/story.html __________________ If a man is standing in the middle of a forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?

11-08-2012, 01:43 AM	#3
Mla Addicted to C2E Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Athlone	Very rude of you Gemini. You'd rather the city spend more money hiring Paladin Security guards? __________________ Raised in the suburbs, moved to the ghetto.

12-08-2012, 12:32 PM	#10
Gemini Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Edmonton	What does it matter what these volunteers do for an actual living. When you volunteer to do a job and you get injured Workers Comp is not going to support you. The city has three levels of policing that are paid fair compensation for the work they do. Now on top of that they want volunteers to hand out tickets. Geez, why not get the mail man to to this type of thing when they are delivering mail or ask bus drivers to step of the bus if they see infractions. The city getting people to collect revenue for them while also policing areas without paying them is nervy to say the least. A one day course and a swearing in ceremony is hardly a law enforcement course. __________________ If a man is standing in the middle of a forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?

12-08-2012, 01:15 PM	#11
Sonic Death Monkey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Downtown	As usual, Gemini, you blow things out of proportion. Bylaw only has so many people, and they can't be everywhere at once. And I'd rather see the po po go after the real criminals instead of writing parking tickets. They don't allow just any schmuck off the street the ability to write parking tickets. These are usually given to those who are already paid for the responsibility to enforce parking by the property owner - mall security, Impark employees, etc. So these being "volunteers" is a misnomer in the article. My condo manager has the ability to write tickets to those who park illegally at my building. That includes infractions covered in city bylaws and our condo bylaws. He has the salary, benefits, WCB coverage etc covered by my condo association, so he's not a volunteer. I've had douchebags park their rig rockets in front of the parkade door, on the lawn, and in my parkade stall (which I own), so any type of enforcement in my building is good. In fact, this has been in place for several years now, it's not a new thing. __________________ “You have to dream big. If we want to be a little city, we dream small. If we want to be a big city, we dream big, and this is a big idea.” - Mayor Stephen Mandel, 02/22/2012

11-08-2012, 12:01 AM	#2
SP59 Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Sherwood park	I agree. It seems like an easier way for a property owner (such as a condo association) to protect their parking lots from abuse and jerks rather than having to call bylaw.

11-08-2012, 07:57 AM	#4
Gord Lacey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Strathcona - Mill Creek	It's great, the city gets ticket revenue without having to pay anyone. Good job, city!

12-08-2012, 08:00 AM	#7
Gord Lacey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Strathcona - Mill Creek	If these volunteers are sworn in as a peace officer (with restricted powers), it would be the same as if you hit a cop.

12-08-2012, 07:08 PM	#13
EveB Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Garneau (previously North Downtown) Edmonton	Put me down as thinking this could be a sensible arrangement as well. As Mla states, this is not a situation where random volunteers write tickets on random property. I've seen situation with, say, large landlords, where parking is almost impossible to control. The scofflaws know that on private property, penalizing them can be surprisingly difficult for reasons given earlier in this thread. I can see where the "volunteer" would be the caretaker or the security staff of an apartment building. Once the ticket is written, then it becomes the city's job to make sure the scofflaw pays. In many cases, like the NAIT example, the emphasis is not on revenue generation but on controlling parking in as expeditious manner as possible. In the case of landlords, it is to reduce the aggravation of having to placate tenants whose parking spaces get routinely occupied by people who are not them. And if it make some money for the city, I'm ok with that too. Eve