Mike Farnworth adamant Surrey police transition ‘will continue’

Despite Surrey asking for a judicial review of B.C.’s order to continue with the police transition, Solicitor General and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth remains confident the change to a municipal force will happen.

In a statement Friday morning, the city said that at a time when “residents are facing existing affordability challenges,” it is opposed to the transition that would result in a “significant additional tax burden.”

However, Farnworth says it’s this legal challenge that will cost the residents of Surrey.

“I find it hard to understand why the City of Surrey would want to waste taxpayers dollars on fighting a decision that’s already been made, and it’s going to be implemented,” he said in response to reporter questions Friday, just hours after the legal action was announced.

Farnworth says he’s confident his decision, announced in July, was “made appropriately and according to the powers available” under B.C.’s Police Act.

“The decision I made to say that the transition to the Surrey Police Service must continue was based on the authority that I have under the (Police) Act. It was based under the powers that Solicitor General I have, as a responsibility to ensure safe and effective policing, not just in Surrey, but in the province of British Columbia,” he added.

The petition, which names Farnworth as the respondent, seeks to have the court declare that “the Province of British Columbia is without lawful authority to assign to the City the responsibility to transition the City’s police of jurisdiction from the police force established by the City,” under the Police Act.

This is the latest move in a more than five-year-long saga. Farnworth says the city’s legal steps will not delay the police transition.

“The transition can continue. The work that has been underway will continue. This is a review of the decision. The fact is that the work will continue. The transition will continue. And I’ll just say this, stay tuned for next,” Farnworth said.

The solicitor general was referring to legislation he plans to introduce on Monday, which he previously said “will provide clarity to the people of Surrey, and will provide a clear process for any municipality that wants to change its police of jurisdiction.”

“This legislation won’t be a surprise to the City of Surrey, we’ve discussed our intentions publicly over the past few months and city staff have been thoroughly briefed on its contents,” he said in a statement following word of the legal notice.

The legislation would bring changes to the Police Act. Farnworth said in July that those amendments could include the ability of ministers “getting involved earlier in a decision such as this,” as well as the ability “to request and ask for any and all documents and not have to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”

“We will obviously engage in consultation with local government, with UBCM. I’ve already spoken to the president of the UBCM and told her of that, that that is our intention. At the same time, we also have been making changes, proposing changes for the fall in terms of the Police Act and around governance,” the minister said on July 19.

‘I think it’s time to get on with it’: Surrey councillor

Meanwhile, Surrey Coun. Linda Annis says delays have already cost taxpayers a ton of money, adding this latest move will only exacerbate this.

She tells CityNews she can’t understand why Mayor Brenda Locke is having a lawyer speak on behalf of the city.

“You know, once you go to court, you have no idea how long this will take, what the costs are, and, in addition to that, of course, we have a spokesperson too, so this is going to be a costly undertaking and something that the residents of Surrey cannot afford,” she said.

“I think that the mayor should be the spokesperson for the city. After all, she is the one that the people want to hear from. This is costing us a lot of money and the province has said that we must get on with it. And I think it’s time to get on with it and get focused on other priorities for the city.”

Lawyer and policing expert Peter German has been retained by the city to support and advise it on its petition to the Supreme Court of B.C.

-With files from Mike Lloyd