Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum has been charged with public mischief, with his first date in Surrey provincial court set for Jan. 25.

Special prosecutor Richard Fowler, QC, approved the charge after the RCMP investigated a complaint from McCallum concerning 害羞草研究所渆vents that allegedly occurred on Sept. 4 in Surrey.

McCallum could not be immediately reached for comment. City hall put out a written statement from McCallum that reads: 害羞草研究所淲e are in the middle of changing from RCMP to the Surrey Police Service and as this matter is before the courts, I will not be making any comment.害羞草研究所�

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Coun. Brenda Locke, so far McCallum害羞草研究所檚 only confirmed rival for the mayors害羞草研究所� seat in the next civic election this coming October, is calling for his resignation.

害羞草研究所淢r. McCallum must do the honourable thing and resign as Mayor of the City of Surrey and Chair of the Surrey Police Service effective immediately,害羞草研究所� she said.

McCallum has specifically been charged with one count of public mischief contrary to Section 140(2) of the Criminal Code, with the information sworn on Friday, Dec. 10.

A bizarre encounter between McCallum and petition signature campaigners outside the South Point Save-On Foods store in September resulted in the mayor claiming a car ran over hit foot and Coun. Allison Patton characterizing this as 害羞草研究所渁ttempted murder.害羞草研究所�

Later in the month a special prosecutor was appointed to advise the RCMP in its investigation related to a complaint lodged by the mayor.

News broke in October that the RCMP was conducting an investigation into possible public mischief related to claims made by the mayor concerning his foot being run over.

Coun. Linda Annis told the Now-Leader she is 害羞草研究所渟hocked害羞草研究所� by the charge.

害羞草研究所淚 think it is a real setback for the city,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淧oliticians, you know, civic leaders should be honest and forthcoming.害羞草研究所�

Asked if she thinks the mayor should resign, Annis replied, 害羞草研究所淚 certainly think that we should let the courts do their due process. Although he害羞草研究所檚 been charged he has not yet been convicted. I do think that he should take a leave of absence until this is resolved.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淓veryone is entitled to their day in court,害羞草研究所� Annis said, 害羞草研究所渁nd we need to wait until a decision by a judge has been made either way. But certainly, through the process, I do think that he should step aside.害羞草研究所�

Coun. Jack Hundial, a former Surrey Mountie, said he thinks it害羞草研究所檚 time for McCallum to step down from the Surrey Police Board, of which the mayor is chairman, 害羞草研究所渁nd also as mayor, it害羞草研究所檚 time for him to resign.

害羞草研究所淐ertainly if he does not step down from the police board immediately, the police board itself needs to ask for his resignation and if I was member of that police board I certainly wouldn害羞草研究所檛 want to tie my integrity to the chair of the police board,害羞草研究所� Hundial added.

Coun. Doug Elford, of McCallum害羞草研究所檚 Safe Surrey Coalition said he害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渧ery reluctant害羞草研究所� to comment on anything that is before the courts. 害羞草研究所淚n Canada, you know, you害羞草研究所檙e innocent until proven guilty,害羞草研究所� he said.

Sukhi Sandhu, organizer of Wake Up Surrey, a grassroots group trying to curb gang violence, called this recent development 害羞草研究所渏ust another layer of the dysfunction that has been going on for the last three, four years in our city.

City hall, he said, 害羞草研究所渉as become a mess害羞草研究所� and a 害羞草研究所渓aughing stock.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 time for the silent majority to stand up and say 害羞草研究所榚nough is enough,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Sandhu said.

Coun. Laurie Guerra, also of the SSC, said Friday she 害羞草研究所渨on害羞草研究所檛 be commenting now or ever on an ongoing investigation.

害羞草研究所淚 believe in the rule of law where people are innocent until proven guilty,害羞草研究所� she said.

Last May, Cloverdale resident Darlene Bennett, whose husband Paul was murdered in a case of what police believe was mistaken identity in 2018, filed a petition with Elections BC seeking a binding referendum vote on whether the Surrey Police Service should replace the Surrey RCMP

In June, Elections BC gave Bennett害羞草研究所檚 application the go-ahead, requiring the campaign to submit a required number of petition signatures by Nov. 15. Not long after that, Locke threw her hat in the ring to compete against McCallum for the mayor害羞草研究所檚 chair in the 2022 civic election, and marked the occasion by vowing to slam the brakes on the policing transition if she is elected with a healthy backing on council.

Elections BC announced in November that Bennett害羞草研究所檚 initiative petition calling for a referendum had failed despite campaigners turning in 42,492 signatures 害羞草研究所� just 2,266 shy of the 45,564 votes McCallum received in the 2018 civic election.

On Friday, the group behind the campaign, Surrey Police Vote, also called on the mayor to step down from the police board and recuse himself from 害羞草研究所渁ny city council decisions or votes on policing issues害羞草研究所� until the court renders its verdict.

害羞草研究所淢ayor McCallum intentionally tried to stop our Initiative petition process on this and several other occasions, including sending by-laws officers to fine volunteers collecting signatures in public parks, because he is terrified at the prospect of a democratic referendum voting down the expensive and unnecessary Surrey Police Service,害羞草研究所� campaign strategist Bill Tieleman said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 time for the province to now listen to the 42,942 Surrey voters who signed our petition in just 90 days despite significant obstacles, and call a referendum on policing.害羞草研究所�

Melissa Granum, executive director of the Surrey Police Board, issued a statement on behalf of the board Friday that in accordance with B.C.害羞草研究所檚 Police Act its chairman must be the mayor, who has a non-voting role except to break a tie. She said the board is independent from its chairman and that the Surrey Police Service 害羞草研究所渨ill continue to move forward, completing all requirements to become police of jurisdiction under the oversight of the independent civilian police board.

害羞草研究所淭he board cannot comment further on this matter,害羞草研究所� the statement reads.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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