Publication date: November 13, 2022 • 4 hours ago • 3 minutes read • 5 comments Brenda Locke at her swearing in as the new mayor of Surrey on November 7, 2022. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG Files

Content of the article

Surrey Council is expected to order the newly formed Surrey Police Board to stop recruiting officers or incur additional costs.

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

On Monday, the city council will be presented with a staff report outlining two options for policing the city. Start your day with a roundup of BC-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7am, Monday to Friday. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Thanks for subscribing!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of Sunrise presented by the Vancouver Sun will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

Content of the article

The first option is to keep the Surrey RCMP as a “police jurisdiction” under the existing contract. The second option is to go ahead with the creation of Surrey Police. Mayor Brenda Locke, whose party holds the balance of power on council, has consistently said her goal is to keep the RCMP and stop change in the municipal force. The report to city council is the first step in that process since he took office on Oct. 15 — defeating Doug McCallum who started the municipal force and opposed policing the borough by the RCMP. Under the first option, staff would prepare a plan to be presented to Attorney General Mike Farnworth outlining how Surrey Police could be dismantled and the RCMP left in charge of policing the city.

Advertising 3

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Surrey Police and its oversight of the Surrey Police Commission were created with the approval of the provincial government and can only be disbanded by the same authority. The first option will also require staff to “issue a letter on behalf of the council to Surrey Policing Board to stop all new recruitment and expenditure pending further direction from the council”. Undated handout photo of Chief Constable Norm Lipinski with Surrey Police Service recruits. Photo by Flavia Chan / Surrey Police Serv /jpg Surrey Police is in Phase 1 of its three-phase implementation, with its patrol officers working under the command of the RCMP. As of October 15, the police department had 296 officers, with 154 deployed to the front line. Another 28 recruits were in training and 57 civilians were on staff. The police board had planned to deploy up to 35 extra officers every two months. Phase 2 would have seen Surrey RCMP officers working under the command of Surrey Police and phase 3 would have seen the city’s force take full control of policing. This was expected to start in July 2023.

Advertising 4

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

In 2022, the city is expected to spend $195 million on city policing, including $72.5 million for SPS, $96.7 million for the RCMP and $25.6 million for city police support services. The report states, “there is currently an unfavorable variance for policing operations that is projected to be $20.6 million by the end of the year. Key factors contributing to the unfavorable forecast include a greater than expected number of SPS members not deployed in frontline policing. As a result, the city pays for administrative costs to two police agencies.” According to the staff report, a timely decision by Farnworth on whether to revoke the SPS mandate was crucial. The RCMP is contracted to provide 734 police officers to Surrey, and currently includes the city’s 154 police officers who work for the RCMP.

Advertising 5

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

According to the report, “while a plan is developed and advanced to the province for ministerial authorization, the RCMP will continue to focus on day-to-day operations with both SPS and RCMP officers, assuring SPS colleagues that their work as police officers in Surrey they are valued and continue to be required.’ If the minister approves the decision to keep the RCMP, he will offer jobs to all SPS officers. [email protected] More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

Share this article on your social network

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if a user follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to customize your email settings.