If you were looking to move to a new community and wanted to know how law-abiding your future neighbours were, you’d likely search out a municipal law enforcement report for that community.
A standard report in most municipalities across the province, the report is generated by municipal law enforcement staff based on infractions of the community’s bylaws. The report is often a simple chart, providing an unvarnished and unedited telling of the big issues in the city, town or township of your choice.
Last week, at Oro-Medonte’s council meeting, the township’s municipal law enforcement group provided its report for May to August 2025.
Written by Curtis Shelswell, manager of municipal law enforcement, the report included a chart that catalogued the total number of occurrences in the township from January to August of this year, not just May to August, as had been indicated.
“An occurrence is generated when municipal law enforcement acts either proactively or reactively, regardless of the outcome, and includes matters such as the removal of an illegal sign on the township road allowance, garbage dumped on township property or a dog at large call where the dog was not found,” Shelswell wrote in his report, which was received for information only by council. “Where an action of an officer of the division is required, this is recorded as an occurrence.”
According to the January to August chart, the lion’s share of municipal law enforcement occurrences so far this year were parking warnings (357), canine control (189), signs (162), property standards (154) and parkland (110).
Sign occurrences include “placing signs on public property without undertaking the appropriate process,” property standards include “tidiness and neatness of properties” and parkland occurrences include “inappropriate use of parkland,” such as bonfire in public spaces, use of watercraft in designated swimming areas, etc.
In May, in advance of the busy summer season, the township hired five seasonal municipal law enforcement officers.
“As part of their duties for 2025, staff have been going door to door and educating residents related to canine licensing,” Shelswell wrote in his report. “Staff started with owners that have purchased tags in previous years and are now moving on to all other residents to ensure that they are adhering to the licensing program.”
As of Aug. 30, Shelswell said the division issued 740 parking infractions for various offences under the township’s traffic and parking bylaws.
The division also issued 16 penalty notices under the township’s Administrative Monetary Penalties — three related to property standards, three associated with canine control, three as a result of the road occupancy bylaw, one under the parkland bylaw and six related to open-air burning.
“The division continues to rely heavily on education over enforcement, but in some instances, enforcement is required to ensure compliance is gained in a timely fashion,” Shelswell said.
Oddly, for a municipality that has been torn apart over the issue of short-term rentals, there are no occurrences listed related to short-term rentals.