Surrey Police Service chief 'excited' to move transition forward
For Surrey's police chief, it's a good day.
“We’re excited about the announcement from the minister,” said Chief Norm Lipinski.
“I’m looking forward to hiring. I’m looking forward to having the HR plan and the change-of-command date. That will give us a target to hire towards and I’m looking forward to being in charge in Surrey.”
His comments come after Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said this week that he will soon announce a date for the change of command in Surrey as it transitions away from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service.
The SPS now has 365 officers, 210 of them deployed. Lipinski said he expects to hire 80 more officers before the end of the year.
The new hires will come despite the majority of Surrey city council rejecting the B.C. government’s offer of $250 million to help ease the transition away from the RCMP to the SPS, even after agreeing in principle to the funding.
Farnworth said $150 million will now go directly to Surrey Police, but the other money is off the table.
“I have no indication as to why the city council … changed their mind. I think those are questions that the people of Surrey no doubt want answers to,” Farnworth said.
Surrey councillor Doug Elford does not support Mayor Brenda Locke’s decision to reject the financial offer.
“To throw that kind of money away in these times, in these challenging times for people, is not responsible,” Elford said. “To me, it seems to be a political exercise to extend the confrontation until the provincial election."
Elford said he’s asked city staff to provide financial details on what the delays have cost Surrey taxpayers.
CTV News wanted to speak with Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, but were told for a second day that she was not available. However, it appears the mayor has raised concerns about how RCMP members will fit into the new service.
“Police officers will do the job that’s required of them. In terms of details, in terms of how that will work, as I said we have an agreement in principle with Public Safety Canada,” Farnworth said.
The ongoing policing drama in Surrey has led to uncertainty and challenges.
“It’s not optimum policing to have two police agencies in one jurisdiction,” said Lipinski. “It does not compromise public safety, but we have two organizations, they have two different brands, they have two different philosophies."
Meanwhile, some residents say they support Locke and believe the province is out of line.
“I want the government to stay out of it,” said one Surrey resident. “When it comes to municipalities, (the province) should just mind their own business."
Another resident told CTV News: “I support the NDP government, but I don’t support what they’re trying to push. Surrey should be able to make their own decision.”
In a statement Tuesday, Locke said the province has yet to provide a clear plan and financial commitment for the transition.
Correction
A previous version of this story said the province will now give $150,000 for the policing transition, when it fact it will contribute $150 million. An additional $100 million, however, is now off the table.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes
Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
Can Trump come to Canada now that he's a convicted felon?
A Canadian immigration lawyer says now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, he is technically barred from crossing the border into Canada.
Montreal tech billionaire charged with several sex offences
Robert Miller was charged Thursday with several sexual assault charges after Montreal police reopened an investigation into the tech billionaire.
Police: 3 killed, including suspected gunman, in Minneapolis shooting
Three people, including the suspected gunman, are dead after a shooting Thursday at a Minneapolis apartment complex, police said.
'Why didn't they stop?' Mom asks of driver in hit-and-run crash that killed son
The mother of a 13-year-old boy who was killed in a hit-and-run in Edmonton is begging the driver to come forward.
The northern lights are returning to night skies across Canada this Friday
If you missed the brilliant displays of the aurora borealis over North America on May 10, you may have another chance to see them on Friday night.
A pair enjoyed pricey meals and bolted when it was time to pay. Their dine and dash ended in jail
A Welsh couple who dined out on pricey meals and bolted when the bill came is now paying the price, behind bars.
$400K in damages for B.C. woman who had unnecessary mastectomy was 'inordinately high,' court finds
A jury's award of $400,000 to a woman who had a mastectomy after being misdiagnosed with breast cancer has been substantially reduced by B.C.'s highest court, which found the damages were "wholly disproportionate."