Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the Surrey Police Service will replace the RCMP as the city害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渁lmost a vendetta害羞草研究所� against Surrey residents 害羞草研究所渁nd I don害羞草研究所檛 know why. I still don害羞草研究所檛 know why we害羞草研究所檙e doing this. I wish he would tell us because as far as I can see, there is no good reason.害羞草研究所�

At a press conference Tuesday in Vancouver, Farnworth revealed this 害羞草研究所渕ajor milestone害羞草研究所� in what has to date been nearly six years of acrimonious debate over the issue. 害羞草研究所淭he BC RCMP will continue to operate in Surrey providing temporary support to the Surrey Police Service until the transition is completed.

害羞草研究所淚n the coming weeks, I will be issuing a notice to the City of Surrey that will terminate the city害羞草研究所檚 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 Province害羞草研究所檚 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.害羞草研究所�

Locke called it 害羞草研究所渃oncerning害羞草研究所� that Farnworth did this three working days before the City of Surrey害羞草研究所檚 petition to quash Farnworth害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淚f he had a plan, he probably should have done something about it five years ago,害羞草研究所� she told the Now-Leader. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 still no plan. For the City of Surrey, we害羞草研究所檙e in court on the 29th, that害羞草研究所檚 where the truth will come out, and we害羞草研究所檒l see what害羞草研究所檚 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, it害羞草研究所檚 obvious to me that this is very personal to him, and I don害羞草研究所檛 know why he wants to saddle the City of Surrey and the taxpayers of Surrey with this extraordinary fiscal bill that害羞草研究所檚 going to happen.害羞草研究所�

On the coming court case, Farnworth said it won害羞草研究所檛 have an impact on the transition. 害羞草研究所淚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.害羞草研究所�

Deputy RCMP Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said that, now the pathway for the transition has 害羞草研究所渂een identified,害羞草研究所� the RCMP is committed to 害羞草研究所渨orking closely害羞草研究所� with the provincial government, Public Safety Canada, the SPS and City of Surrey 害羞草研究所渁s we identify in advance necessary work to reach this next milestone in November.害羞草研究所�

Chief Constable Norm Lipinski of the SPS called Farnworth害羞草研究所檚 announcement 害羞草研究所渧ery exciting.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 know this has been a long road and has not been easy for any of us,害羞草研究所� Lipinski said. 害羞草研究所淗owever, I think we can all agree that completing this transition is good for both Surrey residents and all policing staff who serve Surrey.害羞草研究所�

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 Monday害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渋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.

害羞草研究所淭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.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淭he mayor turned down the $250 million offered by the province to help offset the police transition over the next 10 years,害羞草研究所� Bose said. 害羞草研究所淭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 year害羞草研究所檚 budget, reinforcing just how shortsighted it was to turn down the province害羞草研究所檚 financial support.害羞草研究所�

Annis said considering having two police departments costing Surrey $8 million monthly, 害羞草研究所測ou害羞草研究所檇 think we would have accepted the province害羞草研究所檚 $250 million and completed the transition as quickly as possible. That害羞草研究所檚 not happening, and our taxpayers are paying the price for this mismanagement and lack of vision. It害羞草研究所檚 frustrating to think that the police transition continues to sideline every other important issue in the city, with no real thought about how we害羞草研究所檙e preparing Surrey for its future.害羞草研究所�

Safe Surrey Coalition councillors Doug Elford and Mandeep Nagra also voted against the budget. Their press release charges that Locke害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渕ismanagement of taxpayer dollars is staggering.

害羞草研究所淭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 Surrey害羞草研究所檚 residents, betraying the trust placed in local government,害羞草研究所� it states. Nagra further remarked that 害羞草研究所渨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.害羞草研究所�