A total of 15 parking enforcement officers are now wearing body-worn cameras as part of a six-month experiment to see if the devices help reduce assaults and abuse that has escalated against them in recent years.
The rollout of the trial began Aug. 5, with the officers working in various undisclosed areas of the city at different times of the day. The cameras are being supplied by Axon, the same company that outfits Vancouver police officers with cameras.
“The primary goal is to deter violent and aggressive behaviour towards city staff, and increase the safety of parking enforcement officers who have been experiencing higher rates of violent or aggressive behaviour directed at them year-over-year,” said Om Mogerman, associate director of the city’s parking operations and enforcement branch, in an email this week.
'Backhanded me across the face'
BIV requested an interview with a parking enforcement officer to get some insight into whether the cameras are making a difference, but the request was declined “to maintain their privacy and ensure their continued safety.”
In July, the city issued a news release saying that on average, a parking enforcement officer was assaulted once every two weeks in 2024, and that incidents continue to increase. The release included three “incident statements” from parking enforcement officers, whose names weren’t provided.
• “As I was ticketing a vehicle, a female approached and asked why I was issuing tickets. I explained it was a no parking zone. Shortly after, two males came over, upset to find a ticket already on their vehicle. One of them turned out to be the owner of the first car I ticketed. He began arguing and then his friend then got in my face, pointing his fingers near my eyes and yelling and swearing at me... I asked him to move his hands away, but as I stepped back, he swung and backhanded me across the face.”
• “While on duty, I saw a female jaywalking toward a vehicle with a male. As she approached, she began shouting and swearing at me. Who do you think you are giving me a ticket? I calmly explained why she was getting a ticket and she continued swearing, got close to me, and ignored my instruction to step back. She then grabbed my handheld device and tried yanking it from my hand. I repeatedly told her to stop and not come closer. She attempted to knock it out of my hand and then taunted me.”
• “I ticketed a taxi driver stopped in a no-stopping zone who let passengers out in a right-turn lane. He asked why he was getting a ticket. I explained the signage and pointed out proper drop-off areas nearby. He became aggressive, swearing at me and calling me racist names. He suddenly punched me on the lower left jaw with his right fist, then grabbed my vest.”
Recordings deleted within five days
Parking enforcement officers participating in the trial have received specialized training and will only activate the cameras when they feel their safety is at risk, said the city, noting an officer will inform the public when an interaction is being filmed “unless it is unsafe and impractical to do so.”
The city will refer any incidents involving criminal activity to the Vancouver Police Department for investigation. All recordings not requiring investigation will be deleted within five days.
If the trial is successful in reducing violent incidents, the city says it will consider expanding the use of cameras to all parking enforcement officers. The trial is at no cost to the city, with management leveraging the current contract with the VPD.
“Under the terms and conditions of the intended contract, the parties may mutually agree in writing to enter into full deployment, under which they may amend the existing contract and extend the term and pricing of the agreement,” according to a document posted on the city’s bid page.
The VPD ran a camera trial in 2024 before an assessment was conducted after six months, which has led to full deployment. The cost of that program is $6.5 million in 2025, which includes one-time costs of $1.31 million.
The cost to run the program in 2026 will be $5.11 million, and $5.26 million in 2027.
City council heard from Magnus Enfeldt, the city’s chief safety officer, in October 2024 that city employees were being threatened, intimidated and assaulted at a rate never seen before in the public-serving organization.
