‘Stop fearmongering’: Surrey Mayor doubles down on message to province over policing

The ongoing Surrey policing situation does not feel any closer to a resolution after talks between the city and the province became heated on Monday.

“I am disappointed to hear both Minister (Mike) Farnworth and Premier (David) Eby when they say there are public safety concerns in Surrey,” Mayor Brenda Locke said Monday night. “There are not. To make such a statement to me is irresponsible and I ask them to stop fearmongering.”

Earlier on Monday, Locke accused Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety, Farnworth, of being a bully and a misogynist.

“I have never used the gender card but in this case, I think there is misogyny going on — no doubt in my mind — and actually it’s not just me. I’ve had many people reach out and say he would have never treated Doug McCallum like this,” Locke said.

5:49 Surrey policing debate shows no signs of ending

Farnworth did not respond to Locke’s comments but released a statement saying the province has received Surrey’s report on policing and it is now being reviewed.

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Farnworth had previously said the province was promised the report from Surrey’s city council by noon on Friday, then by the end of Friday, and although he said his staff requested it through the weekend, the province still had not seen it.

Locke said the report was never promised by noon on Friday.

4:40 Surrey and province spar over policing

• Surrey and province spar over policing
• Reaction to Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke’s press conference on policing report
• ‘He is towards me’: Surrey mayor asked if B.C. solicitor general is a misogynist
• Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke calls out B.C. solicitor general over police letter demands
• Political impact of Surrey policing indecision

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On Friday, Locke announced council has voted to retain the RCMP in Surrey and not continue with the transition to the Surrey Police Service.

Farnworth responded by saying the province still needs to make the final decision and view the report from Surrey council to make sure the decision to keep the RCMP meets the province’s requirements.

Locke, who was elected to council in 2018 as a part of former mayor Doug 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.

One of her key election promises in 2022 was to scrap that transition.