Will the policing debate in Surrey impact how voters choose the next mayor?
There have been plenty of news conferences and plenty of promises during the run-up to the October 15 municipal elections in Surrey.
Incumbent Doug McCallum has promised everything from a 60,000-seat stadium to a new pool in North Surrey.
“We are going to build an indoor, full pool right on this particular location at Jack Bailey,” McCallum recently announced.
But the main issue that has loomed large and bitterly divided council over the last four years has not been civic infrastructure.
Replacing the RCMP with a municipal police force was one of McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition's key promises in 2018. Halting the transition is one of the planks in at least on of his opponent's platforms this time around.
“We must keep the RCMP in Surrey,” said Coun. Brenda Locke, the mayoral candidate for Surrey Connect.
“The city can not afford to go down this road. The cost is too great. $520 million more it will cost us to keep on moving forward with the SPS (Surrey Police Service).”
Locke and McCallum are among eight candidates running for the mayor’s chair.
In an interview with CTV News, Locke said she is running to "put ethical government back into city hall. I want the citizens of Surrey to feel proud of their city once again and I can tell you, right now, they’re embarrassed.”
Locke has also vowed to make McCallum, who is facing a criminal charge of public mischief, repay the legal fees that the city is now footing the bill for.
When asked for his response to that demand during a news conference, McCallum said Locke is out of line.
“We have a very strong bylaw that indemnifies all of council from their legal fees and its’ been that way for my 16 years on council,” he said.
CTV News had additional questions for McCallum, but he refused repeated requests for a one-on-one interview, ultimately saying he was too busy.
During a recent news conference, however, he said he was proud of his work over the past term.
“There’s no other council, anywhere in Canada or I would say North America that has achieved what we have in the last four years,” he said.
“We’re building SkyTrain, a four-billion-dollar project. We’re changing a whole police force. We’re doing 21 projects. Our council has worked extremely well in the last four years.”
Both candidates have been part of what critics have described as a dysfunctional council.
Locke says if she wins that will change
“People know me. This is my home. I am a collaborative person. That’s what I do,” she said.
When asked at a news conference about a lack of cooperation on council, McCallum said "council’s worked very, very well because we’ve had majority.”
Meanwhile, Locke said Surrey needs a good public safety plan that goes beyond just policing.
“We have one of the worst ratios of firefighters anywhere in Canada. We need to change that. We need better resources for our bylaw people,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.