Surrey federal candidates can expect survey on new police force
Posted September 9, 2019 8:13 pm.
Last Updated September 10, 2019 6:23 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – In the lead up to October’s federal election, it seems Surrey’s police transition will be on the minds of voters.
That’s according to Ivan Scott, head of the ‘Keep RCMP in Surrey’ campaign.
He insists this is a federal election issue, and will send nominated candidates in Surrey’s federal ridings a questionnaire on the topic.
“We want the high-ups in government to realize that there is a responsibility out there on the federal side because at the end of the day they are responsibility for safety in this country. And this is very much a safety issue in Surrey,” he says.
The survey has three questions, asking candidates if they support the plan for a new police force, if they support the retention of RCMP in Surrey, and if they would support a referendum on the issue.
“There is no grey area in that,” Scott says.
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He believes the province has accepted Surrey’s right to make an application for a municipal police force, but there is still a chance to change this.
“They’re looking at the whole process again, so I don’t believe it’s dead in the water.
He adds he doesn’t think Mayor Doug McCallum has the green-light to start the force yet.
Scott started a petition to scrap the municipal police force and is confident he will get the 50,000 signatures he needs. Right now he says they are about halfway there.
