Surrey害羞草研究所檚 top Mountie Brian Edwards is set to present before city council Monday a 害羞草研究所渇ramework for maintaining the RCMP as Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey.害羞草研究所�

Council will consider a corporate report, of the same name, asking the politicians to endorse a proposed framework containing Surrey害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所減riorities, goals and objectives for policing in 2023害羞草研究所� and direct staff to present a 害羞草研究所渇inal plan害羞草研究所� for maintaining the Surrey RCMP as the city害羞草研究所檚 police force for council害羞草研究所檚 endorsement at its Dec. 12 council meeting.

害羞草研究所淭his report provides a framework for the City to maintain the RCMP as the Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey,害羞草研究所� the corporate report states. 害羞草研究所淭his framework will guide the development of the final plan to maintain the RCMP as the Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey which will be presented to Council for endorsement on December 12, 2022, should Council endorse the recommendations of this report.

Monday害羞草研究所檚 corporate report 害羞草研究所� by Surrey害羞草研究所檚 manager of community services Terry Waterhouse, manager of finance Kam Grewal, and manager of corporate services Rob Costanzo 害羞草研究所� states that a 害羞草研究所減roject team害羞草研究所� will oversee development of the final plan which, if approved by council on Dec. 12, will be submitted to Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth for consideration by Dec. 15.

At council害羞草研究所檚 last meeting on Nov. 14 Mayor Brenda Locke害羞草研究所檚 Surrey Connect majority on a 5-4 vote directed city staff to prepare a plan toward that end.

The project team is comprised of Edwards, Waterhouse, consultants Tonia Enger and Dr. Peter German 害羞草研究所� who has held high positions including the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 national director general of financial crime and president of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform 害羞草研究所� with senior members of the RCMP and city staff providing 害羞草研究所渟trategic and administrative support.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭he Plan, if endorsed, will provide a comprehensive update on the status of the transition to date and highlights the significant amount of work still required,害羞草研究所� the report coming before council on Monday states. It also notes the contractual requirement for the RCMP to continue to be the city害羞草研究所檚 police of jurisdiction is 害羞草研究所渁lready in place.害羞草研究所�

It notes that the number of Mounties assigned to the Surrey RCMP 害羞草研究所渉as not been reduced and remains害羞草研究所� at 843, with 58 of those assigned to Lower Mainland District Integrated Teams and 害羞草研究所渘ot located害羞草研究所� within the Surrey RCMP detachment.

害羞草研究所淎s such, the Surrey Detachment strength is considered 785 Members, although 51 of these positions are not currently funded,害羞草研究所� the corporate report states. It adds that 害羞草研究所渁s of this date,害羞草研究所� 168 Surrey Police Service officers are 害羞草研究所減roviding policing services to Surrey residents害羞草研究所� under the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 command.

While 害羞草研究所渟ome preliminary discussions害羞草研究所� on legal agreements have been held, 害羞草研究所渟ubstantive details have not been worked out, nor have agreements been drafted,害羞草研究所� the corporate report notes. 害羞草研究所淪uch agreements may require approval of all parties, and likely Cabinet endorsement at both the Federal and Provincial levels. Based on the experience of prior negotiations, it is reasonable to assume the negotiations of these legal agreements will take 6 - 9 months.害羞草研究所�

Meantime, the budget and 害羞草研究所減ractical implications of a holding pattern on deployment and demobilization while these legal agreements are prepared and signed off are significant and will require the City to continue to fund through most of 2023 a complement of non-deployed SPS police officers far in excess of the City害羞草研究所檚 ability to pay,害羞草研究所� it continues.

The priorities, goals and objectives for policing in Surrey in 2023 include development of a staffing plan to provide employment, 害羞草研究所渨here possible,害羞草研究所� to civilian and sworn SPS officers who are integrated into the Surrey RCMP 害羞草研究所渢o allow for continued and enhanced career development opportunities,害羞草研究所� as well as develop and implement an Infrastructure Plan which will see the current information systems and equipment assets purchased on behalf of the SPS, repurposed by other entities within the City of Surrey.害羞草研究所�

The objective for 2023 is to maintain a minimum service level of 734 RCMP officers 害羞草研究所渁s soon as possible to ensure adequate and effective policing in 2023 and beyond害羞草研究所� and to 害羞草研究所渄evelop and implement a plan for SPS to provide Assigned Officers to support害羞草研究所� operation of the Municipal Police Unit害羞草研究所� as the RCMP 害羞草研究所渟taffs up to full funded strength consistent with an agreed staffing plan.害羞草研究所�

And then there are the financial considerations. The city害羞草研究所檚 policing operations budget for 2023 will include funding for the RCMP contract, city police support services and SPS. The financial plan it adopted for 2022 害羞草研究所� 2026 allocates a combined budget of $202.4 million for fiscal year 2023, for policing operations, with proposed budgets to be presented to council 害羞草研究所渓ikely in early in 2023.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭o finalize the budget requirements for 2023,害羞草研究所� the corporate report notes, Surrey 害羞草研究所渞equires approval害羞草研究所� from Farnworth of its intention to stick with the RCMP..

害羞草研究所淭his will allow staff to determine a proposed start date for the implementation of the plan. Collaborative work with the RCMP and the SPS will then take place to determine the cadence of RCMP ramp up and SPS ramp down and confirm corresponding budget allocations required.害羞草研究所�

Surrey 害羞草研究所渆nvisions害羞草研究所� a decision from Farnworth in January 2023 decision 害羞草研究所渁nd a ramp up of RCMP and ramp down of SPS beginning in March

2023.害羞草研究所�

Meanwhile, the Surrey Police Board害羞草研究所檚 next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 30. The agenda for that meeting on that day.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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