Former mayor comments as Surrey waits for unredacted policing report

While we wait for a definitive conclusion to the Surrey policing saga, the city’s former mayor is weighing in again.

Speaking more than a week after the provincial government publicly recommended the city go with the Surrey Police Service over the Surrey RCMP, Doug McCallum says whatever comes next shouldn’t be decided by a direct vote.

“I’ve never believed in referendums, not just for this, but for anything. We do not need to govern by referendum.”

“Countries around the world don’t do it by referendum. They don’t govern, we get elected, and we say what we’re going to do when we run, that’s what the people’s thinking says. We cannot turn to governing by referendum,” McCallum said.

Related articles:

• Surrey mayor won’t comment on police saga until staff analysis

• Locke plans to keep RCMP in Surrey despite recommendation

• Surrey RCMP’s top cop disappointed no definitive end to city’s policing saga

Current Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has been adamant about the city staying with the RCMP, even after hearing the opposite recommended in a 500-page report based on plans submitted by the City of Surrey, the Surrey RCMP, and the SPS.

Earlier this week, she said her council is still waiting to receive the B.C. government’s unredacted report outlining its reasons for recommending the Surrey Police Service.

With files from OMNI