Investigation concluded into how Doug McCallum’s city-owned vehicle was damaged

On Saturday night, Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum conceded defeat in the 2022 Municipal Election to Brenda Locke.

Then on Sunday morning, McCallum’s city-owned 2019 Buick SUV was left at City Hall, heavily damaged.

A police investigation was underway into why McCallum’s vehicle was returned in this condition.

However, on Monday afternoon, Surrey RCMP said it has been determined there was no criminal offence and the investigation has been concluded.

On Sunday, an emailed statement from Surrey RCMP Staff Sgt. Brad Essex read, “The Surrey RCMP has been in contact with the City of Surrey over damage to one of its vehicles, reported by city staff (Sunday) morning. Investigators will be following up with involved parties to determine the cause of the damage.”

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Coun. Jack Hundial described the damage to the SUV on Sunday, saying: “the damage is quite extensive, you can tell by the long scraping along the fender going from the bumper to the windshield almost.”

Hundial added that the Buick was damaged before, as a result of at least one other incident.

A spokesperson for McCallum emailed a brief statement Sunday, saying “Mayor Doug McCallum’s vehicle was returned to the city at some point this weekend. As the matter is being reviewed, the city will not be commenting at this time.”

6:03 B.C. municipal election: Brenda Locke on narrowly defeating Doug McCallum in Surrey

Locke defeated McCallum by just under 1,000 votes Saturday night.

In the end, it came down to a tight three-way race between McCallum, Locke and Gordie Hogg, the former mayor of White Rock and a former MLA and MP for South Surrey.

Locke, who was elected to council in 2018 as a part of McCallum’s Safe Surrey Coalition, quit the party in 2019 claiming dysfunction on council and conflict over McCallum’s plan to drop the Surrey RCMP for a municipal police force.