Surrey Police Service offering $10K signing bonus to bolster staff

Just months away from taking over as the police of jurisdiction, the Surrey Police Service is putting up some cash in hopes of recruiting more officers.

The SPS is offering a $10,000 signing bonus for 10 experienced constables joining the front line.

“Experienced officers are in high demand across the country,” said SPS spokesperson Ian MacDonald.

“We are looking for people who have prior policing experience, and obviously given this is going to be front-line patrol duties, we would like an emphasis on that in their background,” he continued.

SPS will take over from the Surrey RCMP as the city's police of jurisdiction on Nov. 29.

MacDonald said hiring and recruiting was going well before the tense legal battle between the province and city, as Mayor Brenda Locke tried to stop the transition. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/it-s-over-minister-says-b-c-s-decision-on-surrey-police-transition-upheld-in-court-1.6898329

“I think, understandably, a lot of people took to the sidelines and waited for the politics to play out, but certainly prior to that pause or that interruption, we had no trouble amassing quality applicants and ultimately hiring those people,” he said.

“So we're hoping this will jumpstart the recruitment process,” MacDonald continued.

MacDonald said SPS currently has 370 officers, with more than 200 of those on front-line duty.

The city’s annual policing budget allows for 785 officers in 2024. MacDonald said he expects the service will have around 400 by November.