Protesters rally against Surrey RCMP
Posted May 11, 2019 1:37 pm.
Last Updated May 11, 2019 9:18 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Sunday May 12 marks the beginning of Police Week for RCMP officers across the country, but not everyone is celebrating.
A group of protesters rallied against the Surrey RCMP Saturday, saying the money used to fund police services should go to the community instead.
One protester, Dave Diewert, says despite plans for Surrey to ditch the RCMP, he doesn’t think a new police force will mean any meaningful change.
“That’s not going to change at all. Other places with municipal police forces, for example in Vancouver, the police task is always the same, which is to protect the interests of property owners and businesses,” he says.
Diewert says in order to truly help Surrey’s most vulnerable, police need more thoughtful training to help break stigmas surrounding homelessness and drug addiction, and more money should be spent on helping the most vulnerable instead of on policing.
“We need to de-fund the police, or divest from police and put more resources in community initiatives and community programs that will support one another.”
He says while Surrey plans on scrapping the RCMP for a new police force, it’s not a move he supports. The additional cost, plus the lack of a clear plan only distracts from the city’s big issues.
