The provincial government is updating the Police Act in an effort to prevent the same mess from occurring that continues to define Surrey害羞草研究所檚 policing transition to the Surrey Police Service from the Surrey RCMP.

害羞草研究所淧eople deserve to know who is protecting their homes, families and businesses when there is a change in policing in their community,害羞草研究所� Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said Monday in Victoria. 害羞草研究所淭hese amendments mean that the confusion caused by the City of Surrey won害羞草研究所檛 be repeated elsewhere in B.C. When passed, these amendments will ensure policing transitions proceed in a way that provides certainty for people and maintains public safety.害羞草研究所�

Farnworth said the legislation provides 害羞草研究所渃larity and finality害羞草研究所� to Surrey residents concerning the transition. 害羞草研究所淎mendments to the Act will specify that the City of Surrey must provide policing services through a municipal police department. It also provides the authority for the solicitor general to cancel the existing agreement between the Province and the City of Surrey for the provision of RCMP services.害羞草研究所�

Premier David Eby said Tuesday that whether or not Surrey is moving forward to a municipal police force 害羞草研究所渋s no longer up for discussion, they are moving forward to a municipal force in Surrey and for everybody害羞草研究所檚 benefit we need to just get on with that work.害羞草研究所�

Farnworth said the legislation also provides, 害羞草研究所渋f necessary,害羞草研究所� the provincial government with the ability to appoint an administrator to 害羞草研究所渁ssume the functions害羞草研究所� of the Surrey Police Board to oversee the SPS.

To follow the bill害羞草研究所檚 progress through the legislator, you can check out

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is not conceding defeat. 害羞草研究所淲e are still all in the process of reviewing it and we will continue to do that,害羞草研究所� she said of the legislation released Monday afternoon.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 going to be really clear 害羞草研究所� the City of Surrey has made a position, we害羞草研究所檙e not changing that position.

害羞草研究所淔irst and foremost, we害羞草研究所檙e here to protect the taxpayers of this province,害羞草研究所� Locke told reporters. 害羞草研究所淲e know that the cost of this transition is extraordinary.害羞草研究所�

Eby said Tuesday it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渇rustrating害羞草研究所� his government and Surrey aren害羞草研究所檛 on the same page. 害羞草研究所淚 think there is a moment here to regroup with the city, to reset. It is very clear that the city will not be successful in any legal challenge, it害羞草研究所檚 a waste of taxpayer dollars, the Province is going in this direction, so let害羞草研究所檚 sit down, let害羞草研究所檚 move forward.害羞草研究所�

During her Monday presser Locke referenced an easel beside her podium displaying a 害羞草研究所渧ery conservative害羞草研究所� $464 million more attached to the SPS over keeping the RCMP over the next 10 years 害羞草研究所� not including capital costs and two-officer patrol cars. 害羞草研究所淭his is going to be a tremendous increase to taxes in Surrey,害羞草研究所� she warned. 害羞草研究所淭hat is a minimum, an absolute minimum. That is money that should be left in the pockets of Surrey taxpayers at a time when affordability remains our number-one issue.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭his is going to be a tremendous increase to taxes in Surrey,害羞草研究所� she warned. 害羞草研究所淭hat is a minimum, an absolute minimum. That is money that should be left in the pockets of Surrey taxpayers at a time when affordability remains our number-one issue.

害羞草研究所淲e will do everything always to protect our taxpayer,害羞草研究所� Locke said. 害羞草研究所淚 will do everything always to protect our taxpayer.害羞草研究所�

The provincial government said it will provide Surrey with $150 million toward the cost of the transition but Locke says that害羞草研究所檚 not nearly enough. Asked if his government will provide more money to Surrey, Eby said the 害羞草研究所渂ig challenge害羞草研究所� is the longer the dispute is dragged out, the more expensive it gets. He said it behooves Surrey to 害羞草研究所渟it down with the Province, not to be going to court to spend more money on lawyers on a decision that害羞草研究所檚 already been made and will not be overturned by a court.

害羞草研究所淭he mayor fought a good fight, she raised a lot of important issues,害羞草研究所� Eby said, but 害羞草研究所渘ow it害羞草研究所檚 time for us to sit down and sort it out.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭he Province has committed to Surrey that we will support them, we understand their additional costs here, we will be working with that and I害羞草研究所檓 happy to have those discussions with Surrey,害羞草研究所� Eby said.

On Oct. 13, the City of Surrey revealed it has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of British Columbia seeking a judicial review of Farnworth害羞草研究所檚 July 19 order to proceed with the SPS. The government has 21 days to file a response.

Asked what she thinks Monday害羞草研究所檚 development will have on Surrey害羞草研究所檚 case, Locke replied she 害羞草研究所渃an害羞草研究所檛 speculate on anything with the courts. And again, we haven害羞草研究所檛 even really looked at the legislation so I can害羞草研究所檛 make any speculation in that regard.害羞草研究所�

Asked if this means checkmate for Surrey, Coun. Linda Annis replied, 害羞草研究所淚 hope this means that we害羞草研究所檙e done and we害羞草研究所檙e moving forward with the transition. I do think the minister害羞草研究所檚 saying enough is enough, we need to get on with it.害羞草研究所�

Locke did say of the legislation that Farnworth could have made his case last December, but did not.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 incredibly disappointing that this minister has taken so long to make a decision,害羞草研究所� she said, adding 害羞草研究所渉e could have said a lot of what he害羞草研究所檚 saying today, he could have said it way back in December. He chose not to, so we害羞草研究所檙e in this position now.害羞草研究所�

Again on the $464 million cost, Locke said, 害羞草研究所楾his is going to be generational, this is going to be forever. This is going to be for my kids, my grandkids, and we need to make sure that we have protected the taxpayer in our city.害羞草研究所�

During a press scrum after the Legislative Assembly害羞草研究所檚 Monday sitting, when Farnworth was asked what will happen with Surrey害羞草研究所檚 court petition in light of the legislation, he replied that 害羞草研究所渢he Province always has the ability to govern, and that害羞草研究所檚 what we害羞草研究所檙e doing. The court process, that害羞草研究所檚 up to the City of Surrey.害羞草研究所�

Asked when his ministry will file a formal response to Surrey害羞草研究所檚 court petition, Farnworth replied 害羞草研究所渢hat work is done by the legal services branch and they make those decisions.害羞草研究所�

At Monday night害羞草研究所檚 regular council meeting, Locke doubled down on Surrey council害羞草研究所檚 majority position to stick with the RCMP.

She said she害羞草研究所檚 instructed city staff to undertake a review of the policing transition, from day one to now. 害羞草研究所淚 want us in Surrey to have a clear understanding of what has transpired over the last five years.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淢y position, this council害羞草研究所檚 position, has not changed,害羞草研究所� Locke said. 害羞草研究所淚 continue to oppose the transition because of the extraordinary cost for Surrey taxpayers that will deliver no public safety benefit.害羞草研究所�

Locke added it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渟imply not feasible害羞草研究所� for Farnworth to say that a police service representing just 25 per cent of frontline officers today is best positioned to be Surrey害羞草研究所檚 police of jurisdiction.

害羞草研究所淭he SPS is top-heavy and it害羞草研究所檚 failed to recruit anywhere near the number of frontline officers needed to be the police of jurisdiction in the city. Surrey Police (Service) recruitment efforts are and will continue to be destabilizing for police services throughout Metro Vancouver and around the province. Let me be very clear again 害羞草研究所� I will not sit on the sidelines and accept a provincial plan that will cost Surrey taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, lead to significant tax increases, and that will deliver no public safety benefit.害羞草研究所�