Rarely-used petition law could force referendum on Surrey police transition
Advocates wanting to keep the RCMP in Surrey are hoping a last-ditch effort will stop the city from transitioning to a municipal police force.
Elections BC has approved a petition under the Recall and Initiative Act. If it garners enough signatures, it could force a binding referendum asking whether Surrey should keep the RCMP or transition to a police force.
The campaign is being led by Darlene Bennett, a Surrey resident whose husband Paul was shot and killed in 2018 in a case of mistaken identity.
“I am very excited, hopeful,” Bennett said in a Zoom news conference on Thursday to announce the launch of the petition.
“I hope this gives the residents of Surrey a voice. I hope they will be heard and I hope everyone is able to make an informed decision.”
Bennett has long been an advocate against the Surrey Police Service, even telling Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth the move was “putting lives in danger.”
Despite this being a Surrey-focused issue, for the petition to be successful, Elections BC requires “at least 10 per cent of the registered voters in each of British Columbia’s 87 electoral districts.” The deadline to submit the required signatures is Nov. 15.
Since 1995, there have only been 14 similar petitions launched, and only one has been successful.
On Thursday, Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said the petition was a “waste of money,” adding the most recent municipal election was, in essence, a referendum on the transition.
“Cities should be governed by the people who live in them, not from other cities around the province,” McCallum said.
No firm date has been set for when the transition to the Surrey Police Service will be complete. A Surrey Police Transition Trilateral Committee is currently looking at some time in the fall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.
Iran's judiciary confirms rapper Toomaj Salehi death sentence
Iran's judiciary confirmed the death sentence of well-known Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi but added that he is entitled to a sentence reduction, state media reported on Thursday.