Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke questions why the Surrey Police Service bothered to stage a press event Thursday concerning the provisional budget for 2024 it submitted to the City of Surrey on Nov. 30. She says the police, like every other city department, need to get in line for their budget proposals to be considered by the finance committee.

B次元官网网址淚 have no idea why they called that meeting,B次元官网网址� Locke told the Now-Leader on Friday. B次元官网网址淚t is exactly the same budget they gave us in November, they know that weB次元官网网址檙e going through our budgeting process, we donB次元官网网址檛 do anything independently of another and just like any city, weB次元官网网址檙e going through our budgeting process and they can come speak to us or speak to it at the public hearing if they choose. ThatB次元官网网址檚 their option, thereB次元官网网址檚 no decision made, Mr. Serr knows that.

Surrey Police Board administrator Mike Serr unveiled details of the Surrey Police ServiceB次元官网网址檚 provisional budget for 2024 on Thursday, Jan. 25 in light of increased confusion over how many millions of dollars are involved in the cityB次元官网网址檚 policing transition, now in its sixth year.

B次元官网网址淭o this day we have not heard whether our budget has been accepted yet,B次元官网网址� Serr said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 hopeful that we can have this budget approved and move forward because any delays delays the transition moving forward, and those delays to the transition can be expensive for the city of Surrey.B次元官网网址�

Meantime, itB次元官网网址檚 costing Surrey taxpayers $8 million per month to keep the RCMP and SPS running simultaneously. A majority of Surrey council is opposed to the RCMP being replaced by the SPS. Serr said he hopes this submitted budget will give council B次元官网网址渃onfidence in the numbers associated with moving this transition forward.

B次元官网网址淚t is my hope that this transparent budget process will give clarity, that it will given comfort to the residents, to the businesses of Surrey,B次元官网网址� he said.

Locke acknowledged that B次元官网网址渢his is their wish-list for their budget, just like every other department within the city. Whether its parks or engineering or planning, they all present their budgets to the city to make a decision and thatB次元官网网址檚 exactly what they did and itB次元官网网址檚 the same one, as I said, that they did in November so I am truly unclear why they felt it necessary to do a media availability for it. It surprised me, and it made no sense.

B次元官网网址淭hey have to do just the same as everybody else and we are operating two police departments right now and so they have to be cognizant of that as well. So there was nothing new.B次元官网网址�

For SerrB次元官网网址檚 part, he said he believes the public has a right to know what the SPS requires in 2024.

B次元官网网址淭his budget is dependent on the winding down of the Surrey RCMP to complement the growth of SPS. In order to contain costs, we need to work with our partners in the RCMP and the City of Surrey on eliminating the overlap in administrative costs that come with having two police agencies working within the city.B次元官网网址�

Locke maintains theyB次元官网网址檙e B次元官网网址渢rying to confuse the 2023 budget and the fact that they were so over budget in 2023 with the reality of the new budget, which is 2024. I think there was a little bit of deliberate confusion around the two budgeting processes.B次元官网网址�

Following a technical briefing for media, Serr held a presser to break down the details of the $142M provisional budget for 2024. He said the cityB次元官网网址檚 total available funds for policing in 2024 is $337M.

Serr said if SPS 2024 provisional budget is approved by city council it would be constitute 42 per cent of funds available to Surrey for policing this year. This includes $30 million from the provincial government ($150 million over five years).

Under SPS operations, $102,761,570 is for salaries and expenditures and $16,758,285 is for B次元官网网址渙ther operating expenditures,B次元官网网址� for a total $119,519,855 for total SPS operations. Equipment and capital expenditures are marked at $6,636,383 and $15,354,815 is for the Policing Transition Project Fund, for a grand total ask of $141,511,053 for 2024. In 2020, the City of Surrey earmarked $63.68 million as a one-time capital project fund for the transition, intended to support the SPSB次元官网网址檚 startup costs and build IT infrastructure required the SPS to replace the Surrey RCMP as the cityB次元官网网址檚 police of jurisdiction, which Serr expects will occur within two and a half years.

Surrey Police Board administrator Mike Serr revealing SPS provisional budget details for 2024.

B次元官网网址� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)

Seventy-two per cent of the provincial budget is for salaries and benefits. Twelve per cent is for other operating costs, with $5.99 million for IT maintenance and contractors, $1.2 million for fees to train recruits, and $2.25 million related to the vehicle fleet, with 42 already purchased and 25 more to be bought in 2024. The remaining 16 per cent is for other equipment including uniforms, firearms and ammo, and the policing transition project fund.

Serr said the SPSB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渁ssumedB次元官网网址� deployment for 2024 is to see 203 more SPS officers deployed, to a total of 408, with a hiring target of 180 sworn officers B次元官网网址� 45 recruits and 135 experienced officers B次元官网网址� to a strength of 526 by the end of 2024, B次元官网网址渕aking up approximately 67 per cent of the cityB次元官网网址檚 targeted police staffing number of 785 in 224.B次元官网网址� It also calls for 23 more civilian staffers to be hired, to a total of 81 by the end of the year.

Serr said he has until March 1 to make any additions or changes to the provisional budget and the City of Surrey has until May 15 under the Community Charter Act to approve and finalize its 2024 general budget. B次元官网网址淚 cannot impose this budget on the city.B次元官网网址�

He added he has the ability, if council doesnB次元官网网址檛 approve the SPSB次元官网网址檚 provisional budget, to ask the director of police service B次元官网网址渇or that to be adjudicated,B次元官网网址� but he has to wait until the city provides its response. B次元官网网址淚 am hoping we can resolve this between the board and the city, and work together. But I do have that opportunity in the Spring.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 ever say itB次元官网网址檚 foregone conclusion,B次元官网网址� Serr said. B次元官网网址淚t was made law that the SPS transition is to move forward, that SPS is to be the police of jurisdiction. I have full confidence in these numbers.B次元官网网址�

Coun. Linda Annis says the SPS budget ask should be approved.

B次元官网网址淢ayor Locke has had the budget since November and has not made an effort to deal with it, so making the budget public gives our community the numbers that taxpayers need to better understand the transition process that is underway,B次元官网网址� Annis said Thursday. B次元官网网址淭he budget presented by the SPS makes sense and fits within the overall policing envelope we have for our city. Running two police departments costs our taxpayers time and money, and we need to get on with this transition which the province has made law. The SPS is becoming the police department here in Surrey, so letB次元官网网址檚 get on with it and build the very best police service.B次元官网网址�

Asked what heB次元官网网址檒l do if Surrey council doesnB次元官网网址檛 capitulate, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth on Thursday told reporters B次元官网网址淚 personally donB次元官网网址檛 get involved. There are legislative procedures and protocols that are in place that are set in law and policy as to how budgetary issues around policing are in fact dealt with. So for example thereB次元官网网址檚 Section 27 of the Police Act and if thereB次元官网网址檚 a dispute in the budget that can be referred to the director of police services, has authority to make a decision based on based on the submissions received by, you know, the city as well as the police.B次元官网网址�

Farnworth said the SPS provisional budget for 2024 B次元官网网址渃an proceed in a way that doesnB次元官网网址檛 impact the taxpayers of Surrey, which has been something that the mayor has been concerned about.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭his idea that there needs to be a tax increase because of the transition, the budget shows the path forward in a way that is responsible, respectful of SurreyB次元官网网址檚 budgeting B次元官网网址� their three-year fiscal plan as it relates to policing B次元官网网址� and that thereB次元官网网址檚 not a need for more tax increases which the mayor has been talking about.B次元官网网址�

In December the city launched a $500,000 PR campaign against the B次元官网网址淣DP police transitionB次元官网网址� that includes social media posts, a direct-mail householder, and electronic billboard displays that, under the heading B次元官网网址淣DP police transition WILL COST YOU MORE,B次元官网网址� claims it will cost $464 million more over the next 10 years, and forecasts a MASSIVE DOUBLE-DIGIT tax increase meaning LESS $ for schools, health and transit.

Meantime, Locke expects in February a court date will be set for the City of SurreyB次元官网网址檚 petition seeking a judicial review of Public Safety Minister Mike FarnworthB次元官网网址檚 decree the Surrey Police Service will police the city. Locke announced in November that the city is challenging in B.C. Supreme Court the B次元官网网址榗onstitutionalityB次元官网网址� of the provincial governmentB次元官网网址檚 decision to replace the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service.

B次元官网网址淚 find it disappointing that both Mr. Serr and the solicitor general are not being respectful of the courts,B次元官网网址� Locke said. B次元官网网址淭hey know that this issue is before the courts and I think itB次元官网网址檚 disappointing that they arenB次元官网网址檛 respecting that process. We donB次元官网网址檛 have a date yet, but like all things legal we have a date to make a date. So we do have that, and I believe itB次元官网网址檚 in the beginning of February. So the process is underway, they know that full well, and I would just ask that they respect the courts and respect the process.B次元官网网址�