Deployment date approved for first officers from Surrey's new police force
The committee overseeing Surrey's transition away from the RCMP has approved a deployment date for the first 50 officers from the city's new municipal police force.
Those initial Surrey Police Service members will be assigned to roles within the Surrey RCMP detachment as part of a phased transition process approved by municipal, provincial and federal officials.
The officers will be "assuming operational policing duties" by Nov. 30 at the latest, the Surrey Police Service said in a news release.
"This is an exciting time for the Surrey Police Service as we prepare to deploy our first officers into policing operations this fall," Chief Const. Norm Lipinksi said in a statement.
"We look forward to working with the Surrey RCMP during this phased transition as we work together to ensure the continuing safety of Surrey residents."
The first group of Surrey Police Service officers being deployed will be followed by others throughout 2022 and 2023, authorities said.
The new municipal police force has been actively recruiting for months, despite calls from the union representing RCMP officers to pause the effort earlier this year as the gang conflict in B.C.'s Lower Mainland was escalating with a number of brazen public murders.
The decision to transition away from the RCMP has been controversial from the start, with many Surrey residents adamantly opposed to the idea.
Last year, a survey commissioned by the RCMP union found most residents were against spending money on the transition in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BC Liberals also promised to hold a referendum on the transition as part of the party's failed 2020 provincial election campaign.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Canadian government proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.