Interested in the role of 3-1-1 and Bylaw Officers? Read on!

Q: What happens when a resident calls 3-1-1 with a bylaw complaint?

A: The 3-1-1 operator will open a file, ask for the caller's contact information and the address and information of the complaint. The file will then be issued to a bylaw officer for follow-up.

Q: Will an officer share the caller's information with anyone?

A: Absolutely not. Officers are trained not to disclose any information and to only discuss the bylaw issue. There is 100% confidentiality - the information of the caller will not be shared with the property owner and vice-versa. The caller is also issued a password by 3-1-1. If they call back wanting follow-up or to add information they have to present the password so that no one else can access the file.

Q: How long will it take until the officer responds?

A: Unless the complaint is a high priority such as hatred graffiti or a public safety concern, response time will depend on the number of files that have previously been assigned to an officer. There are times throughout the year when the officer's case load will be heavier, for example after a snow storm an officer's file load can more than double.

Q: What issue is dealt with the most?

A: The complaints we receive largely depend on the season. In the winter there are a lot of snow and ice complaints. It's important for the public's safety that property owners shovel their sidewalks right down to the concrete. In the summer, the majority of complaints are on untidy properties and yards where the weeds and grass need to be tended to. Most of the infractions are of the Community Standards Bylaw.

If you have a neighbourhood concern that is an infraction of one of The City's bylaws, call it into 3-1-1 for follow-up by a bylaw officer.
For more information on The City bylaws go to www.calgary.ca/animalservices (click Bylaw Services, then Bylaws of Frequent Reference).