Surrey council holds closed door meeting over policing decision: sources

Surrey City Council held a closed-door meeting Thursday afternoon.

Sources told CTV News it was about the future of policing, as the city weighs whether to transition to municipal police force or keep the RCMP.

Reporters waited in the city hall lobby for Mayor Brenda Locke in hopes she would provide comments post meeting.

While the mayor did not address the media on Thursday, a news conference was announced by the city the following day.

Locke is set to provide an update on the Surrey policing situation at City Hall, starting at 11 a.m. Friday.

There has been mounting pressure on city council to make a final decision.

Premier David Eby says that, regardless of people’s position on the divisive issue, it is crucial that residents get their policing service.

“I know that people in Surrey have preferences for one badge or the other, or they just want this whole thing to be done,” Eby said during a BC Hydro news conference on Thursday. 

“This is an incredibly fragile situation. So, it’s my sincere hope that we’ll be able to come together with the City of Surrey to guarantee that—to make sure that we have all the plans in place, to guarantee that policing service.”

On Wednesday, the public safety minister called out the mayor for not sharing a copy of their police deliberation report, which Locke and councillors are expected to consider before making a final decision.