SURREY, B.C. - The City of Surrey, British Columbia has appointed a manager to oversee a planned transition to a municipal police force and the closure of its RCMP detachment.

A news release from the city says Terry Waterhouse has been appointed as the general manager of policing transition.

He is the former general manager of public safety for Surrey.

Mayor Doug McCallum says Waterhouse will work with government, the RCMP and other affected organizations to ensure a smooth and quick transition.

At the first city council meeting after his election, McCallum and Surrey's eight councillors voted unanimously to begin working toward development of a municipal police force and termination of the city's RCMP contract.

Waterhouse says he is moving quickly to put a team together to act on that initiative.