Surrey mayor scraps public safety committee: ‘I feel completely blindsided’

The Mayor of Surrey has scrapped the city’s public safety committee for the time being. Instead, he’s introducing a new interim committee in its place.

It will be called the Police Transition Advisory Committee and its goal will be to support the creation of a city police department.

Mayor Doug McCallum made the announcement at an open public safety committee meeting on Monday, leaving one councillor in shock.

City Councillor Brenda Locke said, “I feel completely blindsided that he would cancel the public safety committee and actually quite surprised.”

“I don’t think that this is in the best interest of public safety for Surrey. Period,” said Locke.

Locke said getting rid of the public safety committee will leave a lot of important issues on the backburner.

“All he’s focused on is this police transition. Public safety is more than just the police transition,” she said.

WATCH: (July 5) Surrey residents divided over police force transition

0:37 Surrey residents divided over police force transition

“We still have to live and work and play in Surrey until that transition happens, and so public safety still has to be at the forefront of everything that is happening in Surrey and it’s not, the only thing that is focused on is that transition report,” added lock

Locke said council wasn’t able to vote on it, or given time to offer input.

In a statement Tuesday, McCallum said, “I have always said the goal is to have Surrey Police up and running by April of 2021, which is why we are doing all that we can to ensure that no time is lost during the transition as we await the decision of the Solicitor General.”