Surrey ethics commissioner finds councillor in conflict of interest in policing vote

The final report from the City of Surrey’s ethics commissioner has determined Coun. Rob Stutt was in a conflict of interest when he voted in favour of keeping the RCMP as the police force of jurisdiction in the city.

In a release Wednesday, the Surrey Police Union says the decision comes after an inquiry was launched focusing on Stutt’s son’s employment with the Surrey RCMP. Stutt is a “career investigator” with over 40 years of experience in policing and the insurance industry, according to the city.

“Our goal was to make the process as transparent and fair as possible. The vote on policing in Surrey is critical and should be clear of any bias to focus on the only issue that matters, safety in Surrey,” said Rick Stewart, president of the Surrey Police Union.

According to the SPU, the ethics commissioner’s report states that there was a “personal interest” in the matter under consideration, “that a reasonably well-informed person would have concluded might influence a member of Council in Councillor Stutt’s position.”

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However, the report does note Stutt has no direct or indirect links to any financial interests.

“This critical vote on November 14, 2022, changed the trajectory of the last seven months. Surrey residents deserve an apology for his disrespect to his office and compromised integrity at City Hall,” Stewart continued, adding Stutt is the chair of the Public Safety Committee and “should be mindful of potential conflicts in the future.”

The union claims that just days after the union submitted the inquiry to the ethics commissioner’s office, Stutt’s son was transferred out of the Surrey detachment.

“The Mayor’s office has strategically kept silent with no comment to the public on this critical issue. Decisions around policing must be made with transparency and ethics,” the union said.

Speaking to CityNews Wednesday morning, union spokesperson Ryan Buhrig says the union feels like Surrey residents deserve an apology “for Stutt’s disrespect both to his office and for the compromised integrity at City Hall.”

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Buhrig says the union feels like the city needs to move forward in the best interests of Surrey residents.

“The final decision regarding the transition and policing in Surrey rests with the minister of public safety, and we really do look forward to Minister Farnworth’s final decision,” he said.

Buhrig notes that during the 2022 vote, the final decision came down to a vote of five to four, meaning if Stutt had recused himself, the initial motion “that started this whole process” would have failed.

“Since then, the final vote [that] Mayor Locke announced on Monday, that what was six to three, so Stutt’s vote would not have changed that vote on Monday.

“But, we do feel like given that first vote was so close, this really did change the trajectory of the last seven months regarding the policing transition in Surrey,” Buhrig said.

As Stutt’s son is no longer working at the Surrey RCMP detachment, the ethics commissioner says Stutt is no longer in a conflict of interest in future votes, and is making “no specific recommendations” to council.

The report comes as Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth issued Surrey an ultimatum on Monday, saying if the city does not provide the report to the province, he will be “forced to make a determination about what is necessary for safe and effective policing without it.”

–With files from Mike Lloyd