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According to the collective agreement which is in effect until Dec. 31, 2024, new constables will be earning $83,782, which matches that of the VPD and first-class constable with SPS will earn $111,709, a higher rate than most Metro Vancouver departments.
Recently, VPD posted a series of recruitment videos, one of which received backlash, in an effort to inspire more people to join the force. However, MacDonald says policing is a very competitive field with plenty of interest across the country.
“We received over 425 applications for 26 new recruit positions. We’ve been pleasantly surprised that despite the fact that we haven’t done a lot of out-of-province advertising, we are getting applications from across the country.”
The new hires consist of officers moving from other departments as well as those new to the job, and MacDonald says recruiters have used this as an opportunity to build “an all-star team.”
“We have amazing people that are working extremely hard right now. They want to be some part of something historic. That’s what the citizens of Surrey can expect, they’re gonna have a highly motivated, well trained, and super enthusiastic group that’s going to be taking care of public safety in the city.”
In November, SPS began patrolling alongside the RCMP in what they called one of the largest police transitions in Canada.
Replacing the RCMP with a municipal force was a key pledge in Mayor Doug McCallum’s election campaign in 2018, but it also faced criticism when the budget estimated $18.5 million more than the original $45 million estimate.
MacDonald says although there is no set date for the SPS to fully take over from the RCMP, he emphasizes the change will be swift over the next few months.
