Sjoerd Witteveen
Albert Chan, supervisor of Provincial Offences for the Vaughan Enforcement Services Department (left), and Maria Joannou, special enforcement officer, demonstrate two Kawasaki bikes, on loan from Kahuna Powersports. The bikes give staff the ability to get to parks and open areas for patrolling that were difficult to reach before.
Vaughan
July 24, 2008 11:14 PM
By: Caroline Grech
Forget 4-by-4 trucks and all-terrain vehicles, City of Vaughan bylaw officers are patrolling our parks on a different mode of transportation this summer.
The city received two motorized trail bikes from Kahuna Powersports to be used to travel park areas where they have had problems reaching in the past.
“These bikes are going to be good for patrolling hydro corridors and areas like the Pine Valley extension,” the city’s director of enforcement Tony Thompson explained.
“This is another tool in our toolbox.”
Areas such as hydro corridors challenge bylaw officers because they can’t bring their trucks into the area and it’s a lengthy distance to peddle on bikes,” Mr. Thompson explained.
The motorized bikes allow park enforcement officers to patrol there regularly and allow them to crack down on illegal activities such as drinking in the park or illegal motorcycle activities.
The program costs less than $1,000 this summer, the cost of helmets, boots and other equipment.
The motorized bikes are donated until September, but Mr. Thompson plans to add the program to next year’s budget if it is deemed a success.
The new bikes do not give bylaw officers more power, they help them enforce more areas on a more frequent basis, Mr. Thompson said.