Surrey mayor says she hasn’t seen B.C.’s unredacted policing report

It has been two weeks since a recommendation against keeping the RCMP in Surrey was released, and the mayor says she has still not received the unredacted report from the province outlining the government’s position on policing in the city.

In an interview with OMNI News, Brenda Locke says the process needs to move much more quickly.

“I have spoken with the premier about that very issue. And I know it is the wish of the premier as well, that we do this as expeditiously as we can,” she said.

The mayor remains steadfast that Surrey will keep the RCMP as the police force of the jurisdiction, despite the province recommending it continue with the transition to the new Surrey Police Service (SPS)

Locke claims she has also not seen any confirmation of the $150 million the government said would be available to continue with the transition to the SPS.

“This is a generational decision.”

“The decision we make on this will impact not just the next four years, five years, 10 years more, and so we’re looking at the long term and $150 million dollars doesn’t put a dent into what we’re looking at for the future expenditures for this city,” she added.

Locke notes that it’s not just the City of Surrey that has been looking for confirmation from the province for police funding.

“I think it’s also really important to recall that many, many other RCMP jurisdictions are also saying, ‘If there’s money, we need it here.’

“We need it here in our cities, and we’ve heard [that] from several other jurisdictions,” she said.

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Locke’s comments come after Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced the highly anticipated recommendation to continue the policing transition at the end of last month, saying it’s “the best way to achieve public safety in B.C.”

“The people of Surrey are very frustrated by years of uncertainty over this debate, but we must move forward without reducing police presence when we need it the most,” Farnworth said April 28.

The decision comes after the province’s director of police services compiled a 500-page report based on plans submitted by the City of Surrey, the Surrey RCMP, and the Surrey Police Service.

The province’s decision was expected to end a process that began four years ago under former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who initiated the transition to a municipal police force. Current Mayor Brenda Locke, who was a vocal supporter of the RCMP as a councillor, quickly moved to halt the transition when she was elected in October 2022.

-With files from OMNI News and Mike Lloyd