Omar Dixon
Faculty of Applied Health & Community Studies
Degree: Investigation - Public and Private
Year of graduation: 2011
As an employee for the City of Brampton, Omar Dixon takes great pride in his role as a By-Law Enforcement Officer. The 26-year-old Sheridan graduate enrolled in the Investigations - Public and Private program because it offered him versatility for his future career path. The experience Omar gained during his co-op terms with the City of Brampton assisted him in obtaining full-time employment upon graduation in 2011.
Omar enjoys his work for many reasons stating, "It gives me the opportunity to explore the city, interact with people on a one-on-one level, and to help maintain the standards of the City of Brampton. Secondly, no two days are the same. Every day is different, whether it is a new challenge, or a different solution. You need to be flexible, not everything is black and white."
As a By-Law Enforcement Officer, his role includes a variety of duties, some of which include preservation of city parks, investigating noise complaints, illegal fireworks, illegal dumping, as well as maintaining the City of Brampton properties and roadways to avoid liability issues.
“We respond to a lot of seasonal issues to specific by-laws,” Omar adds. “In winter, we experience a higher volume of complaints and safety concerns throughout the city pertaining to sidewalks that have not been maintained."
"Our first goal is to gain compliance. Educating the public to the City of Brampton by-laws, along with willingness to work with the residences and visitors goes a long way," Omar continues, "Enforcement, although being a part of my job title, is something we do as a last resort if compliance cannot be achieved."
Happily, Omar is given opportunities to work alongside Sheridan College co-op students. As a Sheridan alumnus it gives him the chance to emphasize and further detail the steps he has taken and experience gained throughout his co-op term.
He adds,” I tell them to treat their co-op placement as a career because it can potentially turn into one. Enjoy the time spent at college but work hard and heed the advice of faculty members."
For his progress and success in his current career, he acknowledges his Sheridan Professors, Karyn Carty, Robert Horning and Peter Cybulski, as well as City of Brampton Co-op Placement Supervisor James Kornfehl, who impacted his life and College experience in a positive way.
Learn more about Sheridan’s Investigations - Public and Private program, the only two-year program of its kind in Ontario.
By Mehreen Shahid, Journalism – Print, 2015