Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the Surrey Police Service will replace the RCMP as the cityB次元官网网址檚 police of jurisdiction on Nov. 29, 2024 and the transition will be complete within two to two-and-a-half years.

Meantime, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke accused Farnworth of engaging in B次元官网网址渁lmost a vendettaB次元官网网址� against Surrey residents B次元官网网址渁nd I donB次元官网网址檛 know why. I still donB次元官网网址檛 know why weB次元官网网址檙e doing this. I wish he would tell us because as far as I can see, there is no good reason.B次元官网网址�

At a press conference Tuesday in Vancouver, Farnworth revealed this B次元官网网址渕ajor milestoneB次元官网网址� in what has to date been nearly six years of acrimonious debate over the issue. B次元官网网址淭he BC RCMP will continue to operate in Surrey providing temporary support to the Surrey Police Service until the transition is completed.

B次元官网网址淚n the coming weeks, I will be issuing a notice to the City of Surrey that will terminate the cityB次元官网网址檚 municipal police unit agreement with the Province for the use of the RCMP as its police of jurisdiction. At the same time, the Surrey RCMP municipal unit will be removed from the ProvinceB次元官网网址檚 policing agreement with the federal government. This will effectively transfer responsibility for the delivery of policing and law enforcement in Surrey from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service.B次元官网网址�

Locke called it B次元官网网址渃oncerningB次元官网网址� that Farnworth did this three working days before the City of SurreyB次元官网网址檚 petition to quash FarnworthB次元官网网址檚 order to replace the RCMP with the Surrey Police Service goes to court, set for a five-day hearing starting Monday, April 29 before Justice Kevin Loo in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淚f he had a plan, he probably should have done something about it five years ago,B次元官网网址� she told the Now-Leader. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 still no plan. For the City of Surrey, weB次元官网网址檙e in court on the 29th, thatB次元官网网址檚 where the truth will come out, and weB次元官网网址檒l see whatB次元官网网址檚 going to be next. I look forward to the truth being told to the public. I think the political speak that has come from the minister to date, itB次元官网网址檚 obvious to me that this is very personal to him, and I donB次元官网网址檛 know why he wants to saddle the City of Surrey and the taxpayers of Surrey with this extraordinary fiscal bill thatB次元官网网址檚 going to happen.B次元官网网址�

On the coming court case, Farnworth said it wonB次元官网网址檛 have an impact on the transition. B次元官网网址淚t is not about overturning the decision that was made, and we are confident in our position, and if it were to go the other way, it would bring it back to what is the law of the province today, and the law of the province today is Surrey will be policed by the Surrey Police Service.B次元官网网址�

Deputy RCMP Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said that, now the pathway for the transition has B次元官网网址渂een identified,B次元官网网址� the RCMP is committed to B次元官网网址渨orking closelyB次元官网网址� with the provincial government, Public Safety Canada, the SPS and City of Surrey B次元官网网址渁s we identify in advance necessary work to reach this next milestone in November.B次元官网网址�

Chief Constable Norm Lipinski of the SPS called FarnworthB次元官网网址檚 announcement B次元官网网址渧ery exciting.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 know this has been a long road and has not been easy for any of us,B次元官网网址� Lipinski said. B次元官网网址淗owever, I think we can all agree that completing this transition is good for both Surrey residents and all policing staff who serve Surrey.B次元官网网址�

On April 22, Surrey council gave third-reading approval to a 2024 budget that includes a six per cent property tax hike, a one per cent increase in the roads and tax levy, and a secondary suite fee increase on top of costlier utility rate fees

The policing transition, as expected, surfaced in MondayB次元官网网址檚 budget debate, and subsequent press releases were issued by all sides on council. Locke issued a statement Monday night charging that the Surrey Police Service B次元官网网址渋s putting a financial strain on our ability to deliver new projects, not to mention SPS exceeded its budget by more than $22 million in 2023.

B次元官网网址淭oday, our general manager of finance confirmed once more that the City has not received any of the promised or publicly committed funding from the Province for policing, nor have we received any formal funding commitment. If we are mandated to continue with the police transition, we are likely facing, at a minimum, over half a billion dollars over the next decade compared to the costs of the Surrey RCMP. Times are tough, and I will not artificially inflate taxes when families are struggling to pay for mortgages, rent, food and other essential expenses. My priority is meeting the needs of our residents while being as fiscally prudent as possible.B次元官网网址�

Surrey First councillors Linda Annis and Mike Bose voted against the 2024 budget.

B次元官网网址淭he mayor turned down the $250 million offered by the province to help offset the police transition over the next 10 years,B次元官网网址� Bose said. B次元官网网址淭he province is continuing to put up the original $150 million commitment to cover the next five years, but it will be managed by the province and the Surrey Police Service, not the city. That means $30 million in revenue from the province is not part of this yearB次元官网网址檚 budget, reinforcing just how shortsighted it was to turn down the provinceB次元官网网址檚 financial support.B次元官网网址�

Annis said considering having two police departments costing Surrey $8 million monthly, B次元官网网址測ouB次元官网网址檇 think we would have accepted the provinceB次元官网网址檚 $250 million and completed the transition as quickly as possible. ThatB次元官网网址檚 not happening, and our taxpayers are paying the price for this mismanagement and lack of vision. ItB次元官网网址檚 frustrating to think that the police transition continues to sideline every other important issue in the city, with no real thought about how weB次元官网网址檙e preparing Surrey for its future.B次元官网网址�

Safe Surrey Coalition councillors Doug Elford and Mandeep Nagra also voted against the budget. Their press release charges that LockeB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渕ismanagement of taxpayer dollars is staggering.

B次元官网网址淭he $136 million squandered on futile political battles with the Province could have been a lifeline for our community, easing the burden of rising living costs and inflation. Instead, Mayor Locke has chosen to prioritize personal vendettas over the welfare of SurreyB次元官网网址檚 residents, betraying the trust placed in local government,B次元官网网址� it states. Nagra further remarked that B次元官网网址渨hen you look at the bottom line of your property tax bill and add up all the taxes, residents will see a 10.5 per cent property tax hike.B次元官网网址�