Brampton's 311 line getting more complaints than it can handle

Brampton's bylaw enforcement branch is receiving thousands of complaints a day — way more than it can handle, according to a recent report commissioned by city staff. 

The review, dated March 22, into the city's response to 311 complaints done by AtFocus, a consultancy group, shows that while complaints went up more than 22 per cent last year compared to the year before, staffing levels went down 4.5 per cent. 

"The situation is critical," the report says. 

The complaints relate largely to property standards, licensing, municipal bylaw and parking-related complaints.

The city received nearly 109,000 complaints in 2023, but has 93 bylaw officers, it said in an email to CBC Toronto. Robert Higgs, director of enforcement and bylaw services, says he is worried about the growing gap in enforcement in Brampton that is causing public frustration and low staff morale. 

"There's low wellness and morale among staff… this culture needs to be reinvigorated," he said during the presentation of the report at council Wednesday. 

With an increasing number of cases going unaddressed, Higgs says more residents are calling to complain or escalating matters to city councillors. That has led to an increase of 380 per cent compared to 2022, or 5,500 more callbacks and escalations.

Higgs says a lack of enforcement is frustrating residents, who call back and "create even more service requests which circles right back to increased workload onto the enforcement branch which was already overwhelmed." 

"You can see how the cycle is feeding into itself," he said. 

One councillor says his office has seen an increase in "angry residents" reaching out about violations of city's property standards in the neighbourhood. 

"On a daily basis right now I'm getting between five days [worth] calls. Pictures or a complaint in which we need to call bylaw," Coun. Martin Medeiros said. "People are angry. People have reached the tipping point."

The report notes parking complaints alone made up some 75,000 complaints last year — and half of those are not dealt with. 

Higgs says that's because parking is a priority three level call for the enforcement branch as it "doesn't generally negatively impact community safety." 

"It is clearly not a low priority to the community as it represents 68 per cent of service requests," he said.