Surrey Police Board administrator Mike Serr says city council has still not approved the budget for the police transition, presented to mayor and council last November.
The transition from the Surrey RCMP to the Surrey Police Service (SPS) will take approximately two-and-a-half years, Serr said, and at the end of that timeline, the city will have the same organizational structure and number of officers as the RCMP.
Overall, the Surrey Police Service is asking for $141.5 million to eventually have 785 officers on the force.
While the transition is “well underway,” Serr said, there are still many changes to be made.
There are currently 215 Surrey Police Service officers serving the city — about 30 per cent of all police officers on the streets, he added.
The service hopes to add 180 additional police officers this year, including 135 experienced officers recruited from across the country and 45 new recruits who will attend the Justice Institute for training.
By the end of 2024, the Surrey Police Service aims to have 526 officers on the ground, which is about 77 per cent of the city’s target.
This budget is contingent on winding down the Surrey RCMP to transition costs, and the need to work with the RCMP to eliminate overlapping costs, Serr said.
He added that the board recognizes there has been confusion over the actual costs of the transition and the SPS moving forward.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth addressed the ongoing issue at a press conference Thursday, saying there are legislative procedures that are in place if Surrey’s council does not respond to the proposed budget.
Farnworth said Serr presented a budget to ensure the transition to the SPS, which is required by law, can continue without the Surrey taxpayers being forced to pay more.
“This idea that there needs to be tax increases due to the transition, the budget shows the path forward over the next three years and there is no need for any tax increases,” Farnworth said.
The City of Surrey is required to have a budget in place by May 15.
“That’s why it’s important the City of Surrey recognize the work that’s been done by the administrator, by the advisor,” Farnworth said.
“The transition is the law of the province and there’s a path forward here.”
Farnworth added he wants to see the city council acknowledge that Serr’s proposed budget is a responsible one and that it is the path forward for the city to be able to do that.
In a statement, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said there was “nothing new” in Serr’s update, and that “nothing has changed” regarding the city’s position.
” The City of Surrey’s 2024 budget is being worked on by our Finance staff. Until that is done, and only once that is done, will we know what effect the SPS budget will have on the property tax rate,” she said.
Locke claimed it was “disingenuous” for Serr and the province to state the transition can continue without further tax burden to Surrey residents, saying the province’s own numbers indicate the SPS will be $30 million more expensive than the RCMP annually.
“Unless the Province plans to fund 100% of all of the SPS’s extra costs, not just for three years but beyond, any shortfall will fall on the backs of Surrey residents and businesses,” she said.
In January, the City of Surrey refused to add 10 new SPS officers to the municipal payroll, according to the union.
The recruits — already sworn officers — began training at the Justice Institute British Columbia police academy, according to Surrey Police Union spokesperson Ryan Buhrig.
He said the union learned they had not been added to the payroll on Dec. 27 and is paying their wages in the interim.
-
![]()
Surrey city council doubles down in its rejection of Surrey Police Service -
![]()
Surrey Police Service chief sets targets for transition -
![]()
City of Surrey missing from police transition talks -
![]()
Surrey Police Transition: Surrey’s lawyer discusses the latest development -
![]()
Surrey Police Transition: Could the new challenge work? -
![]()
Surrey mayor doubles down on fight against police transition
After initially supporting a transition from the RCMP to the SPS as a councillor, Locke campaigned on a promise to keep the RCMP in Surrey. She cited transparency concerns around the creation of the SPS and the taxpayer burden of a municipal police force.
In July last year, after many months of back-and-forth, Farnworth ordered the City of Surrey to phase out the RCMP amid concerns that replenishing it could tighten resources in places where Mounties are in short supply.
He said Surrey failed to prove it could keep the RCMP without compromising safety elsewhere, and offered $150 million to support a return to the SPS.
-with files from Catherine Urquhart and Elizabeth McSheffrey
Comments