How to lodge a complaint

If you have a bylaw complaint or have witnessed or know of a bylaw infraction, you have two options. You can make your complaint in person at the RCMP detachment at 911 Bison Way in Sherwood Park, or call us at (780) 467-7741.

1. When you make the complaint, we will ask you your full name and address, and a phone number where we can reach you at home, at work and/or on cell. (This information is kept confidential.)
2. In the body of the statement taken by the officer, describe:
   • the situation you wish to report. Provide the names of all involved (if known), date(s), day(s) of the week, month, year and time(s) the event or activity occurred.
   • the address or location where the event occurred.
   • what you saw or heard, providing as much detail as you can to describe the matter you are reporting. For example, if you are reporting a barking dog, we will ask you to start a log to record dates and times, and to identify the dog.
   • the action you wish taken.
3. The Peace Officer assigned to your complaint will take action based on your wishes in concert with the evidence available. Insufficient evidence would result in no prosecution. In such instances, a warning may be issued.
4. Your complaint along with all the information you provide will be kept on file and assigned to a Peace Officer, who will keep the complaint file open until the matter is resolved.
5. During the course of an investigation, you may be asked to provide a written statement of what you observed. You may also be asked if you would be willing to testify in court. Your testimony would be essential if you want to have a charge laid where a Peace Officer has not personally witnessed the infraction. If you are not willing to provide a statement or testify in court, a charge will not be laid. In these cases a warning to the offender(s) is a normal course of action.
6. At the conclusion of an investigation, the Peace Officer will contact you to let you know what action was taken and the final outcome.

Bylaw Enforcement Process

1. Once Enforcement Services receives a complaint, a Peace Officer is dispatched to make contact with the person in question. On occasion, when a Peace Officer is not on duty, an RCMP Officer may deal with the complaint.
2. Complaints are responded to on a priority basis. Response time will depend on availability of personnel at the time of the call, and the priority of the complaint compared with other calls received by the unit.
3. If the complaint is not urgent, we may ask for assistance. For example, if a stray dog has been found and a Peace Officer is not available, we may ask the complainant to:
   • keep the dog until an officer is available
   • take the dog to the Humane Society yourself
   • drop the dog off at the RCMP Detachment
4. The Peace Officer assigned to the complaint will take action based on the complainant wishes in concert with the evidence available. Insufficient evidence would result in no prosecution. In such instances, a warning may be issued.
5. If the Officer finds evidence of a Bylaw contravention, the Officer may take the following steps:
   1. Verbal warning to adhere to the Bylaw. This may be accompanied by a grace period to allow for the person(s) make arrangements to comply with the Bylaw.
   2. If the matter is not resolved during the specified time period, a ticket is issued. This ticket may include a mandatory Provincial Court appearance. The person(s) still has the option to comply before going to court.
   3. If the matter is brought to Provincial Court the violator has the right to plead guilty or not guilty to the charge. If the violator pleads guilty or is found guilty at trial, the Provincial Court can issue a fine and order a disposition or direction to deal with the offence.

The complaint, along with all the information provided, will be kept on file and assigned to a Peace Officer, who will keep the complaint file open until the matter is resolved.

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