With Surrey switching to a municipal police force, 91Ô­´´ RCMP will be taking over the policing of a small, unincorporated island in the Fraser River.

Barnston Island sits just north of the 91Ô­´´-Surrey municipal boundary, and is only accessible by a small ferry that transports people and vehicles from a dock in Surrey.

The 91Ô­´´ RCMP have announced that they will now take over policing Barnston, with the support of Provincial Police Service resources. The official date of policing transition will be Nov. 5.

Because Barnston is unincorporated – it is not part of Surrey, 91Ô­´´, or any other municipality – it falls under provincial jurisdiction, and the RCMP provides provincial policing services in B.C.

"91Ô­´´ RCMP have been working closely with our policing partners to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure the public safety on Barnston Island," said Insp. Ryan Element, Acting Detachment Commander for 91Ô­´´ RCMP. "We are proud and ready to serve Barnston Island and the Katzie First Nation on the island."

Barnston Island has between 150 and 170 residents. Part of the island is a Katzie First Nation reserve, and the remainder is mostly small farms.