Emergency contacts & public safety
As part of the evolving response to the COVID-19 situation in British Columbia with businesses closing or reducing hours of operation, the City and RCMP encourage the business community and all citizens to take steps in adopting and adhering to crime prevention practices.
Kelowna’s crime rate is driven by property crime. Many of these crimes are preventable, like thefts from unlocked vehicles or poorly secured bikes.
Follow these simple steps to protect your business and property:
- Position computer equipment and other electronics out of plain view from street level, or if possible remove them from your premises
- Remove all valuables from vehicles, including electronics, money, wallets and personal identification (including those with property addresses), and garage door openers
- Establish a routine for checking that your property, including your vehicle, is secured (e.g. set an alarm to remind yourself to check locks and windows before going to bed at night)
- Ensure you have a detailed record of your property (commercial or residential) so you’re able to provide police with details if you experience a theft
- Register your CCTV camera registry program (applicable only to downtown Kelowna businesses)
Ask yourself the following questions and take steps to address areas of vulnerability:
- Are the views into and out of your property blocked by signage or other obstacles?
- Are there any hiding spots around your windows or doors?
- Are there any implements of opportunity or break-in tools (e.g. loose rocks, or any objects that can be picked up and thrown) in your parking lot or close to your windows and doors?
- Is there any landscaping which restricts views into and out of your property? Overgrown landscape will decrease the opportunity for detection of "would-be" thieves
- Do you have an alarm system?
- Do you have CCTV?
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 emergency | 911 for police, fire & ambulance |
| Crime or illegal activity | 250-762-3300 for the Kelowna RCMP |
| 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) |
| A bylaw issue | 250-469-8686 for Bylaw Services |
| Graffiti | 250-469-8600 (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 Fall 2020, the City launched development of a Community Safety Plan that form the basis of a multi-pronged, systems-based approach improve community safety in Kelowna, which includes improving residents’ sense of safety.
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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.
- Added 23 Kelowna RCMP officers since 2015
- Nine Bylaw Officers added since 2015
- Dedicated Bylaw Officers allocated to patrol downtown (Lawrence Ave. and Leon. Ave. areas) from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Paladin Security patrols the downtown area (Stuart Park/City Hall/Kasugai)
- BC Transit has a regular patrol of the Queensway bus loop
- In addition to the two RCMP Bike Teams, we have two Bylaw Bike Teams who patrol downtown and surrounding areas from July to September
- Created the Actioned Police and Crisis Teams, which combines an RCMP officer and a mental health nurse as a team that intervenes in calls where suspected mental health concerns exist
- The team is trained to find an appropriate resolution, reducing visits to the Kelowna General Hospital and police cells
- This continues to be a successful model that has resulted in the providing of efficient, compassionate and effective enforcement.
- 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
- 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
The majority of CCTV units are in the downtown area, primarily in City parkades. Since CCTV units have been installed, our private security contractor Paladin Security has noted that they have the increased ability to intercept individuals prior to a disturbance/illegal activity taking place, particularly within the parkades
Through the CCTV registry pilot program, businesses in the DKA boundaries can voluntarily register their security camera locations and contact information with us through a secure database. This will provide Kelowna RCMP with quicker access to potential sources of video evidence.
