Surrey, B.C.’s, mayor and council will soon receive another briefing on the unredacted text of a provincial report recommending it transition to the Surrey Police Service (SPS), according to the premier.
David Eby said Monday he has had several “constructive” conversations with Mayor Brenda Locke as the municipality decides whether to keep the RCMP on its own dime, or bring back the SPS with provincial funding support. He’s unsure, however, when that briefing will take place.
“Certainly it’s her opinion and it’s mine as well — we need to get closure on this as quickly as possible. The people of Surrey need clarity about direction,” Eby told reporters in Victoria on Monday.
“I think this has gone on too long.”
The premier’s comments come days after Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth revealed the government’s take on one of Surrey’s most hotly-contested political issues.
A report from B.C.’s director of police services found that while costly, bringing back the SPS was the safest option, given the RCMP’s recruitment challenges and shortages in other parts of the province.
Lockewood swiftly stated Friday her intention is to complete the transition to the RCMP, reversing a legacy of her predecessor, and keeping her election promise. Nevertheless, she said city staff are reviewing the provincial report thoroughly and completing an operational and financial feasibility study.
“It could take up to a month or more,” Locke said. “This is up to our staff now to do the deep dive and make sure we know exactly what we’re looking at.
“After all, this is about public safety in the city of Surrey, and that is our number one concern.”
Surrey is the second-largest city in Metro Vancouver. As it stands, the SPS provides 50 per cent of its front-line policing duties with a complement of more than 330 officers.
Last week’s recommendation to Farnworth stated the municipal police force would need to hire at least 400 more officers to meet the city’s policing needs, and confirmed a course reversal would cost $235 million and $30 million more per year than keeping the RCMP.
The Mounties need a minimum of 734 officers to meet Surrey’s needs, it said, and if they remain the police of jurisdiction, must hire at least 161 additional officers. The Surrey RCMP have lost about 140 members since the SPS kicked off.
“Where are those officers going to come from?” Farnworth said on 980 CKNW’s Mornings with Simi on Monday, defending the province’s position on the dispute.
“You can’t just suddenly put everything into Surrey in terms of a transition because that has an impact. It has an impact on the provincial policing line.”
Farnworth said he understands Locke’s frustration with the province’s position, but said he is willing to sit down, talk and ensure the costs of its position don’t come out of the pockets of Surrey taxpayers.
Asked whether she would consider a referendum on the topic, Locke said, “right now I’m ruling it out, but I can tell you everything is on the table.”
Surrey Coun. Mandeep Nagra, a member of the Safe Surrey Coalition that spearheaded the creation of the SPS, is urging Locke to accept the province’s recommendation.
“This is an excellent offer for Surrey,” he said, pointing to Farnworth’s offer of funds. “We don’t have to increase any of our taxes and it’s time to move forward with SPS.”
Given the findings, including implications for public safety if Surrey keeps the RCMP, Nagra said councillors should be allowed to vote again on the topic of police transition. He is considering introducing a notice of motion to that effect, he added.
“After reading that report and doing their own analysis, I am pretty sure some of the councillors will look at moving the SPS forward in Surrey,” he said in an interview.
“I hope we get to vote on this and I hope there’s opportunity for other councillors to reconsider their previous decisions.”
Surrey’s mayor and council are scheduled to meet Monday night. Locke said “there’s nothing to talk about” at the meeting when it comes to the police transition, and the municipality will take the time in needs to be as well-informed as possible before making a final decision.
— with files from Janet Brown
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