Will they or won't they? Policing in Surrey a political football
The ongoing battle over the Surrey police transition could become more complicated – and may have other cities thinking twice before considering a similar move – after a mayoral candidate pledged to wind back the clock if she’s elected.
On Friday, Brenda Locke told reporters that “it’s not too late” to keep the RCMP and disband the Surrey Police Service, which has been working alongside Mounties as it hires officers and support staff over a years-long transition period.
“We believe this transition must stop and it must stop as soon as we are elected,” said Locke. “It's going to cost $521 million on top of what we already are paying for police services and it will take four more years.”
The SPS disputes Locke's claim. It directed CTV News to its website, where $63.7 million is cited as the one-time transition cost over a five-year period.
“We remain supportive of the democratic process, apolitical in our response to provide public safety and to continue the transition as endorsed by the three levels of government,” wrote an SPS spokesperson.
WILL THE PROVINCE PLAY A ROLE?
The number of officers, their roles in their community, and exactly how police should approach calls involving mental health issues have been under scrutiny in most B.C. municipalities, and determining resources and responsibilities can happen much faster than changing a badge.
Most communities in British Columbia use the RCMP by default and require provincial approval on the rare occasion they’ve decided to form, finance and oversee a municipal service.
CTV News asked the provincial solicitor general’s office if he would quash the transition if a new mayor and council requested he do so, or if he would maintain the current course. The former would likely come with significant potential for confusion, increased taxpayer costs and operational challenges.
"Government refrains from commenting on the debates that are taking place during municipal elections, including speculation on the potential actions of future councils,” wrote a spokesperson in response.
SPS NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY
The SPS has rankled other municipal police forces and unions in the Lower Mainland, who have seen it as poaching officers. There also haven’t been as many Mounties switching uniforms as the mayor had expected.
The transition was behind schedule when the incoming SPS chief and Surrey RCMP commanding officer held a joint news conference to discuss their officers working side by side last November.
“We’re here to stay,” declared SPS Chief Const. Norm Lipinski, at the time.
According to the SPS website, the force is now the second-largest municipal force in the province, after the Vancouver Police Department, with 274 sworn police officers hired and 53 civilian employees.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'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.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.