SurreyB次元官网网址檚 transition to the Surrey Police Service should continue, the province has recommended.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth delivered on Friday morning (April 28) what many in this city would characterize as an agonizingly long-overdue decision on its controversial policing transition, concluding that Surrey should continue with its transition from the Surrey RCMP to the Surrey Police Service.

B次元官网网址淓veryone deserves to be safe in their community and all British Columbians deserve secure, stable policing they can count on,B次元官网网址� stated Farnworth in a release. B次元官网网址淭he people of Surrey are very frustrated by years of uncertainty over this debate, but we must move forward without reducing police presence when we need it the most. Now is not the time to put public safety at risk in Surrey or in any community in the province.B次元官网网址�

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The province has also offered financial support B次元官网网址� up to $150 million over the next five years B次元官网网址� to the City of Surrey if it chooses to continue the transition to a municipal police force to ensure no additional costs to Surrey residents.

B次元官网网址淭his path forward will ensure safer policing for all regions of the province, including the people of Surrey, and provincial support will help keep them from paying significant property tax increases,B次元官网网址� Farnworth said.

The provinceB次元官网网址檚 recommendation comes after a report by the director of police services concerning plans put forward by the City of Surrey, RCMP and the Surrey Police Service (SPS).

There are currently about 1,500 RCMP vacancies throughout the province. The report states that Surrey reverting back to the RCMP would exacerbate the challenges faced by municipalities and Indigenous communities by increasing demand for officers and aggravate public-safety concerns. Filling RCMP vacancies is the responsibility of the federal government.

The report is not binding and it should be noted that the City of Surrey can ignore the recommendation. However, if Surrey does ignore the provinceB次元官网网址檚 recommendation and stick with RCMP, there are conditions that must be adhered to (see graphic below).

The RCMP has been SurreyB次元官网网址檚 police of jurisdiction since it took over from the Surrey Police on May 1, 1951, as the result of a plebiscite. SurreyB次元官网网址檚 is the largest RCMP detachment in all of Canada.

On Nov. 5, 2018, the council of the day, led by mayor Doug McCallum, served notice to the provincial and federal governments that it would end its contract with the RCMP to set up its own force.

Four years and one civic election later, on Nov. 14, 2022, the current council led by Mayor Brenda Locke decided on a 5-4 vote to maintain the Surrey RCMP as this cityB次元官网网址檚 police of jurisdiction instead of forging ahead with the Surrey Police Service.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. (File photos)

Both camps in this acrimonious struggle roundly slammed FarnworthB次元官网网址檚 announcement on Thursday, Jan. 26 that more information was needed from either side to B次元官网网址渋nform further considerationB次元官网网址� as to whether Surrey should maintain the RCMP as its police department of jurisdiction or continue with the transition to the Surrey Police Service from the RCMP.

B次元官网网址淭he longer two police agencies are operating with this uncertainty, the more taxpayer dollars are being unnecessarily spent. The instability needs to come to an end, and a timely response is critical,B次元官网网址� Locke fumed at the time.

The Surrey Police Board also lamented that delay, stating in a press release it is B次元官网网址渦nfortunate that a matter of such critical importance to the community is being delayed.B次元官网网址�

Locke staged a presser on Feb. 18 revealing that the biggest chunk of a proposed 17.5 per cent property tax increase B次元官网网址� 9.5 per cent B次元官网网址� would be levied B次元官网网址渆ntirely dueB次元官网网址� to cover costs associated with the policing transition. She said this proposed budget is based on the premise the Surrey RCMP will continue as the cityB次元官网网址檚 police force. B次元官网网址淚f we were to go with the Surrey Police Service, that number would be significantly more,B次元官网网址� she said. The tax hike ended up at 12.5 per cent.

Asked by a reporter in Victoria on Feb. 21 if his B次元官网网址渋nactionB次元官网网址� in arriving at a decision is leading to SurreyB次元官网网址檚 proposed 2023 tax increase, Farnworth replied B次元官网网址渢hatB次元官网网址檚 just nonsense.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� With files from Tom Zytaruk

beau.simpson@surreynowleader.com
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