Emergency contacts & public safety

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Emergency & safety contacts

Keep the following contact information on hand in case an emergency arises, you need to report a crime, bylaw violation or safety concern, or need to safely dispose of a needle.

When there is:

Call:
An emergency911 for police, fire & ambulance
Non-emergency reporting or general inquiries250-762-3300 for the Kelowna RCMP, or report online at kelowna.ca/police
Safe needle disposal
in public spaces or outside private residences
Contact the Parks Department (250-717-2757) between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Contact the Fire Department (250-469-8801, needle collection option) after hours (non-emergency)  
 
Bylaw issue250-469-8686 for Bylaw Services or online through our Service Request System
Graffiti250-469-8600 (option 6) for the graffiti hotline

Our commitment to addressing safety concerns 

We recognize there are issues in our community and we’re doing what we can as a City to address these challenges. We’re not alone in this situation, as similar challenges are being faced by municipalities throughout B.C. and across Canada. In April 2022, Council endorsed Kelowna's first-ever Community Safety Plan, a five-year action plan focused on reducing risk, vulnerability and harm in our community. 

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We continue to focus on the enforcement of criminal activity, increasing street cleaning/addressing litter issues and connecting people who need help with support services. We work closely with numerous partners, including the Kelowna RCMP, Downtown Kelowna Association and Interior Health to balance the security needs of all residents in our community. This fact sheet provides an overview of the actions we have taken alongside some of our partners to ensure Kelowna remains a vibrant, clean and safe place to live and visit.

Public safety initiatives
Safety personnel
  • City Council approved an ongoing one per cent Community Safety Levy in 2023. The 2023 budget provides funding for six new RCMP officers, four Bylaw Services officers, two Police Services support staff and one Community Safety Services employee.
  •  We are developing bike theft prevention initiatives, actions to reduce business break & enters and thefts, and supporting the Mayor's Task Force on Crime Reduction.  The Mayor’s Task Force on Crime Reduction will provide recommendations to Council on community-driven initiatives to reduce crime in Kelowna. It includes 13 members that represent relevant expertise and sector representation within our community, including the business community, to increase safety and sense of safety.
  • The RCMP contract budget allows for 228 officers in 2023 compared to 179 in 2016, a 27 per cent increase.
  • There are 100 approved Police Services support employees in 2023 compared to 65 in 2016, a 54 per cent increase.
  • There are 28 approved Bylaw Services positions in 2023 compared to 20 in 2016, a 40 per cent increase.
Keeping our parks and beaches safe and clean
  • Our staff conduct park and beach sweeps daily to keep them as clean and free of debris as possible
  • Four to eight daily checks take place (includes clean-up, landscaping, watering and general maintenance) of downtown parks and beaches (Stuart Park, City Park, Waterfront Park, Tugboat Bay) depending on the season
  • Two park ambassadors monitor parks and engage with visitors throughout the summer months
Street cleaning
  • The downtown core (Richter to Abbott and Hwy 97 to Knox Mountain) is swept twice a week in addition to a Spring street sweep (approx. March to mid-May, weather dependent). Pressure washing takes place when necessary.
  • Inspections take place daily
  • Two of our staff members work maintenance over the weekend and additional staff are provided for clean-up after special events
  • We have a vacuum curb/gutter sweeper that operates every second working day, cleaning in the early morning
Closed circuit television (CCTV) units

The majority of CCTV units are in the downtown area, primarily in City parkades. Since CCTV units have been installed, our private security contractor Commissionaires has noted that they have the increased ability to intercept individuals prior to a disturbance/illegal activity taking place, particularly within the parkades