A Cimarron Estates homeowner is on the hook for $750 in bylaw fines following a noise complaint on Canada Day.
Around 10 p.m., Kevin Larson and a couple of buddies had the classic rock playing in his garage loud enough that a neighbour complained, prompting a visit from Okotoks Municipal Enforcement officers.
Larson admits the music was loud, but said he turned it down before the peace officers could even get out of their vehicles.
It was when one of the peace officers asked Larson for his name and date of birth that things went south.
“I said, ‘Why are you asking my name?’ and he said, ‘We want to identify you.’ So, I said, ‘Well, you have my name because I've called you guys before,’" he said.
"One of the guys said to me, if you don't identify yourself, we're going to put you under arrest and I just said, ‘How about you leave my property now.’ And I lost it, I got very mad.”
Larson, who said he’d consumed half a dozen beers over the course of the evening, felt harassed, adding that as soon as he turned the music down, the issue had been addressed and there was no need for the peace officers to do anything further.
He admits to using profanity while telling the officers they didn’t need his identification and to leave his property, eventually closing the garage door on them.
Another peace officer showed up the next day with a pair of tickets: $250 for the noise complaint and $500 for impeding an investigation.
Saying he’s going to fight the fines, Larson said he has contacted a lawyer.
“I'm not one of those guys that gives them the finger," he said. "I'm 64 years old, I have no record, I have no previous bylaw complaints, nothing. I don't need this and to be picked on in this manner, I thought it was so unprofessional.”
Vik Kulkarni, manager of Okotoks Municipal Enforcement, said it’s standard procedure for peace officers to request full name and date of birth when responding to calls.
“When you are subject of a complaint, you are required to identify yourself and it's not so much that the officer wants to know, it's part of the process to make sure the files have detailed and accurate information,” Kulkarni said.
He said the interaction would have been much quicker, and not have resulted in any tickets, if Larson had provided the requested information.
“What we want is that we came on X date, we spoke to the person, they identified themselves and they gave us all the relevant details for the file,” Kulkarni said.
“Now we have them in the system that they were the subject of the complaint, but based on the interaction, we gave them a warning. We say please behave yourself, please make sure we don't come back again. These are your neighbours, you live in this community, please be cordial and do not violate the bylaw.”
Kulkarni said he finds it ironic that Larson called municipal enforcement, and was willing to provide his personal information, a month earlier to request traffic enforcement in the neighbourhood, but wasn’t as forthcoming when he was the subject of a complaint.
He said Larson can argue his case in court should he choose to dispute the tickets.
