Wardens will as from May 1 fall under the remit of a government agency, the Local Enforcement Systems Agency (LESA).

The change was an electoral promise, and will see them renamed ‘community officers’.

The move required a change in legislation. The Local Enforcement Act sees the service moved to the government agency from the private provider which has been running it since January 2000.

LESA was set up as the regulator three years ago, and under its control, the scope of wardens will be widened to include more environmental work.

The agency will be tweaking both the educational and operative side of the wardens’ work, saying this should bring them “closer to the community”.

The intention is for the public to associate wardens with more than just “giving out contraventions”, the Local Government Ministry said.

Read: Wardens to be renamed 'community officers'

The change in focus of wardens is by no means new. AD had proposed this over 10 years ago.

Read: Community police should replace wardens, AD says

 

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