Alberta town adopts new resident code of conduct to address staff safety

An Alberta town has laid out rules for how residents must treat municipal staff and the consequences if they step out of line.

An Alberta town has laid out rules for how residents must treat municipal staff and the consequences if they step out of line. 

Ben Gronberg, a councillor for Devon, Alta., about 25 kilometres southwest of Edmonton, says nothing specific triggered the new code of conduct, which is meant to protect staff from mistreatment and abuse. 

Gronberg did, however, say he thinks there's a growing trend across the country for public servants to be yelled at, bullied or harassed by members of the public.

"As a municipal council, our job is to take care of administration and employees who are putting themselves in front of the public," he said. 

Devon's code of conduct, which was unanimously approved by council on Monday, establishes steps the town can take when residents display "inappropriate behaviour" toward employees.

That includes threatening or hostile actions, harassment, bullying and overall "unwelcome conduct."

The first step the town would take if a resident mistreats a staff member is to issue a warning. If the behaviour continues, the town can limit the person to a single point of contact with the municipality or limit all communications to a single mode, such as email.