Additional security will be patrolling the streets of Vernon this spring after council green-lighted the plan Monday.
However, the private security firm personnel can’t make arrests or enter private property, they can only relay information to RCMP.
The City of Vernon received seven bids for the job and council approved the low compliant bid of $33,125. This will allow the city to hire one private security personnel in one vehicle between May 1 and Sept. 30, 2020.
The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, however, is left with questions about the coverage one security guard can have.
“There are safety concerns in other commercial areas of Vernon,” the chamber wrote in a release.
When council first directed administration to investigate the costs associated with hiring a private firm in June, councillors included in the motion that extra nighttime security should be in places where petty crime is high, as reported by bylaw and RCMP officers.
“These locations may include downtown, but are likely not limited to downtown,” the June 24 report reads.
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@caitleerach
Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com
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