By David F. Rooney
Are you tired of hearing drunken yahoos shouting their way down the street at 2 am? Disturbed by the sight of rowdy drunks fighting in public? Ticked off at having to sidestep pools of vomit on the sidewalk? Nauseated by the odour of human urine wafting out of an alley where some bozo has peed on a wall?
If you can answer ‘Yes’ to those questions then City Council may have just the medicine you need for peace of mind: A Public Nuisance Bylaw with real teeth — $500-fine-kind-of teeth.
Council agreed with a recommendation by the Security Committee and last Tuesday, May 12, asked City staff to prepare a Public Nuisance Bylaw.
“There are between 15 to 20 fines for public intoxication each month,” Legislative Services Manager Teresa LeRose said in a report she prepared for Council. “This increases dramatically in the winter season when the City experiences many visitors for snowmobiling and skiing.”
As it stands right now, those drunks are held overnight in a cell at the RCMP detachment and that costs the City money. Those charged with public intoxication do get fined, but that money goes to the province — not the City.
“The City budgets for the expense of holding prisoners at the Revelstoke RCMP detachment but does not gain from ticket revenue in this regard,”LeRose said.
Getting socked with a $500 fine would redress that situation and may curb loutish behaviour.
