BARRHEAD - The County of Barrhead's new bylaw law department is up and running, albeit less mobile than the community peace officer would like.
After months of work and preparation, the county welcomed Shae Guy to take over the municipality's bylaw enforcement duties in mid-December. The county's bylaw enforcement vehicle is expected sometime in late February or early March.
In 2021, county councillors opted to create their own bylaw enforcement department after contracting out the service, which they have done since 2009, no longer made financial sense. By providing the service in-house, the municipality doubles its service level to residents, allowing for a more community-centric approach to addressing local enforcement concerns and reducing response times.
Guy, who grew up in Grande Prairie, said law enforcement was something he was always interested in, so after graduating high school, he enrolled in Lethbridge College's Criminal Justice program.
After he completed the program, he returned home and worked for the County of Grande Prairie's bylaw department.
"Mostly, I did parking and animal control," he said, adding he worked there for about a year and a half before moving to Lac La Biche County, taking a position as a Level 1 community peace officer (CPO).
"I did the same type of work as I will be doing here, enforcing land-use bylaw infractions, animal control, traffic, emergency response, the whole gamut."
After doing that for two years, Shae had the opportunity to expand his skill set again, working as an instructor, teaching control tactics and emergency vehicle operation with the Law Enforcement Training program.
The program, which has been in operation for over two years, is a partnership between Lac La Biche County, Portage College, and Alberta Justice. It trains and certifies community peace officers and works with other law enforcement agencies in one-off specialized sessions.
"About 450 people went through all our various programs last year," he said.
As for why he decided to come to Barrhead, he said it was similar to why he chose to go to Lac La Biche, for the challenge and a new experience.
"The job in Lac La Biche is so busy there, and the work is so diverse, especially as they were building the training program," he said. "And here in Barrhead, to be able to help build a new program is very exciting, and it is not the type of thing you get a chance to do very often in a career.
Guy added that even though he grew up in the city and appreciated popping into Edmonton to take advantage of the amenities, he has learned that he enjoys small rural community living.
"I think it is true; people are friendlier in small communities," he said, adding that still rings through, even though in his line of work, people are not always too happy to see him.
Guy also said that although the CPO vehicle has yet to arrive, and only a few residents know he is on the job yet, he already has several files that he is working on.
To report a bylaw violation or have questions about a county bylaw, people can contact the county's bylaw enforcement department by calling 780-284-9757. The service is monitored 24 hours a day via a dispatch centre in Yellowhead County or by e-mail at [email protected].
"I am excited to work with the RCMP, my counterpart at the Town of Barrhead, to help make the community a better and safer place," Shae said.
