Surrey’s first municipal police officers set to hit streets this fall

SURREY (NEWS 1130) — The chief of the controversial Surrey Police Service says residents can expect to see officers working alongside the Mounties by the fall.

The plan, announced Tuesday, will see 50 officers patrolling and investigating in the city by Nov. 30, according to Chief Const. Norm Lipinski.

“It is an exciting day. If things work out, then it might be a few days earlier or a week earlier. We’re not sure. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” he explains.

“We have experienced officers that will be ready to go.”

Training will begin in September, and Surrey Police Service officers with distinct uniforms and vehicles will be joining the RCMP. Lipinski says the hybrid force will function as an “integrated unit” until the transition to a municipal force is complete. Lipinski says it’s too soon to say how many RCMP officers will ultimately join the new force, but there has been interest from experienced police across several jurisdictions.

“Not only do we have a plan, not only do we have a process, we also now have a union to move forward and get boots on the ground and build from there,” he says.

“Good things are in store for the SPS — and we’re here to stay.”

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The move to replace the Mounties was a key part of Mayor Doug McCallum’s 2018 election campaign. The move has been the source of conflict at City Hall, with several councillors fiercely opposed to something they say their constituents do not approve of and did not want. Coun. Linda Annis says her concerns about cost and transparency remain.

“I really struggle with the whole concept we’ve had no consultation with the taxpayers in terms of planning,” she says.

“I really think what they need to be doing before they put boots on the ground is consulting with the public, letting them know how much it’s going to cost, and what it’s going to look like. It’s still not clear to the residents of Surrey why we are doing this.”

McCallum promised the Surrey Police Service would be up and running by spring of 2021, but the police transition will not be complete until some time in 2023.

The next civic election is set for October of 2022. Coun. Brenda Locke, who, like Annis, has opposed the transition throughout her tenure on council, recently announced her plans to run for mayor. The first plank in her platform — halting the transition. McCallum has also announced he plans to run for reelection.