The NDP provincial government has ordered the City of Surrey to proceed with the Surrey Police Service and abandon its plan to retain the Surrey RCMP as the city害羞草研究所檚 police of jurisdiction.
Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth confirmed this Wednesday, acting in accordance with Section 2 of the Police Act, during a press conference in Victoria.
害羞草研究所淭his decision is the final decision,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 fully expect the elected government in Surrey will follow the law.
害羞草研究所淚 know that this is an extraordinary use of my powers under the Police Act, and I did not make this decision lightly.害羞草研究所�
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke could not be immediately reached for comment. The city害羞草研究所檚 communications department issued a statement attributed to her, in which she decried Farnworth害羞草研究所檚 decision as 害羞草研究所渄isappointing, misguided and based on inaccurate assumptions.
害羞草研究所淲hat has occurred today is the undermining of a local government duly elected by its residents. The actions of the Solicitor General should serve as a warning to the autonomy of all municipalities in B.C.,害羞草研究所� Locke added.
Farnworth noted that Surrey害羞草研究所檚 police of jurisdiction currently is still the RCMP. 害羞草研究所淚t will get to a point where the police of jurisdiction will transition to the Surrey Police Service. What I害羞草研究所檓 making clear today is that I am directing that that transition is going to continue toward the Surrey Police Service.害羞草研究所�
After considering a recent corporate report from the City of Surrey, Farnworth found the city failed to make its case that sticking with the RCMP will be safe, would not adversely affect other B.C. communities, and that it did not meet conditions the provincial government imposed on the process.
Do you agree with the province's decision to order to proceed with the Surrey Police Service?
害羞草研究所� Surrey Now-Leader (@SurreyNowLeader)
害羞草研究所淧eople害羞草研究所檚 safety, in Surrey and across the province, is non-negotiable,害羞草研究所� Farnworth said Wednesday. 害羞草研究所淭he city has failed to meet the requirements I placed to prevent a situation where there are not enough police officers to keep people safe in Surrey. We cannot allow people in Surrey or in other communities to be put at risk.
害羞草研究所淏ritish Columbians need to know that when they call the police, help will come and people in Surrey want this uncertainty over who will police their city to end, and to know that they will be safe in their community.害羞草研究所�
This latest development has been nearly five years in the making. At the former Surrey council害羞草研究所檚 inaugural meeting on Nov. 5th, 2018 the council, led by then-mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition majority, served notice in a unanimous decision to the provincial and federal governments that it was ending its contract with the RCMP 害羞草研究所� which has policed these parts since May 1, 1951 害羞草研究所� to set up its own force.
A schism in council害羞草研究所檚 ranks several months later saw councillors Brenda Locke, Jack Hundial and Steven Pettigrew part ways with the SSC, with Locke and Hundial eventually forming Surrey Connect. The three pulled their support from the policing transition, perceiving a lack of accountability and transparency in the process.
Locke then ran for mayor, campaigning to stick with the RCMP, and defeated McCallum in the Oct. 15, 2022 civic election.
She then used her majority on council to reverse the 2018 decision and put the provincial government on notice that it decided to keep the RCMP. Months later, Farnworth staged a press conference that Surrey continue to proceed with building the SPS, to the chagrin of Locke and her majority who responded by re-affirming in a 6-3 vote on June 15 that it would continue with the RCMP, arguing that it was Surrey害羞草研究所檚 decision to make.
Farnworth concluded, based on documents provided by the City of Surrey, that the city and RCMP are not able to 害羞草研究所減revent an exodus害羞草研究所� of SPS officers or sufficiently staff-up Surrey RCMP害羞草研究所檚 ranks without drawing Mounties from other communities.
害羞草研究所淭he Surrey Police Service is the only path forward to ensuring the safety of the people of Surrey, as well as people across the province, and for putting in place the long-term, stable policing they need害羞草研究所� Farnworth said. 害羞草研究所淓ffective collaboration between the city, the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP is essential to continue the transition, and I have made it clear to all parties that I expect them to work together to achieve our common goal of safety for people in Surrey.害羞草研究所�
A financial analysis commissioned by Farnworth害羞草研究所檚 ministry concluded the Surrey Police Service would cost roughly $30 million more per year than the RCMP but the provincial government 害羞草研究所渞emains committed to providing $150 million to help offset these additional costs,害羞草研究所� a provincial government document indicates.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just not safe to go backwards,害羞草研究所� Farnworth said. 害羞草研究所淚t is time to turn the page on this difficult chapter and come together to write a new one.害羞草研究所�
Farnworth added he plans to propose legislation in the fall to ensure that 害羞草研究所渁 situation like this never happens again.害羞草研究所�
Meantime, Locke added in her statement that it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渧ery clear害羞草研究所� the city never had a choice in this matter.
害羞草研究所淲e had a choice so long as we chose Minister Farnworth害羞草研究所檚 option,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲hat is equally frustrating is the amount of time it has taken for the Solicitor General to arrive at this point. His eight-month delay has now cost Surrey taxpayers more than $60 million.害羞草研究所�
Locke said she will meet with council and city staff in coming days to explore the city害羞草研究所檚 options.
害羞草研究所淚 will also be asking for a face-to-face meeting with the minister to understand how he intends to compensate the significant tax burden that will be placed on Surrey residents and businesses as a result of his decision to continue with the Surrey Police Service,害羞草研究所� she added.
害羞草研究所淯ntil I have the opportunity to have those meetings, I will not be commenting further.害羞草研究所�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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