Lower Mainland mayors have asked BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) to slow down on service changes that could draw resources away from local police.

BCHP-Burnaby and BCHP-Chilliwack were scheduled to stop attending traffic-related calls on highways 鈥� including collisions and erratic drivers 鈥� on Sept. 1.

However, BCHP says the service delivery realignment in the Lower Mainland has been placed on a brief pause to allow for additional engagement with a small number of municipalities.

鈥淥nce complete, we commit to providing details on the new implementation date,鈥� BCHP said.

The new plan for highway patrol shifts its focus to proactive traffic enforcement, such as impaired driving investigations and tickets.

Communities impacted by the changes include Mission, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Hope, Burnaby, Coquitlam, 91原创, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, Richmond, Surrey, Delta, Harrison Hot Springs and the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD).

Mission Mayor Paul Horn wrote to Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth on Aug. 22 on behalf of the FVRD Mayors鈥� Committee to request an update on changes to highway patrol.

According to the letter shared as correspondence in Mission鈥檚 Sept. 5 council agenda, BCHP Chief Superintendent Holly Turton hosted a forum for mayors in July to describe the coming changes. However, Horn says her remarks did not address their issues or expectations.

The letter requested an extended date of implementation and a clear explanation for the sharing of policing work on highways.

鈥淥ur communities are eager to define the degree of assistance we can expect in circumstances such as major accidents and fatalities; reports of erratic driving; and highway management during extreme weather, major events, and extraordinary traffic,鈥� Horn wrote.

The mayors also asked that a specified period for review be implemented, so that communities can work with the BCHP to determine the impact of the changes and adjust as needed.

鈥淲e really owe a debt to Chilliwack Mayor [Ken] Popove and to councillors [Jason] Lum and [Bud] Mercer for speaking about this very conversantly when Minister Farnworth was out in Chilliwack on some other business and I think that that helped bring some clarity to the scenario,鈥� Horn said.

When the changes come into effect, BCHP says all traffic-related calls for service on provincial highways within municipal boundaries will be a municipal responsibility, including all fatal collisions.

The RCMP said in June that BCHP-Burnaby and BCHP-Chilliwack have been responding to traffic-related calls on provincial highways in the Lower Mainland for at least 12 years.

However, BCHP says those calls are not part of its mandate, which has been in place for at least 30 years. With a mandate focused on proactive enforcement, they say it鈥檚 not clear how the response to traffic-related calls developed.

鈥淭his service delivery model has ultimately resulted in the operations of BCHP being misaligned with the Police Act and BCHP鈥檚 mandate,鈥� the BCHP said in a June statement. 鈥淪pecifically, BCHP-Burnaby and BCHP-Chilliwack are the only BCHP units in the province that are currently responding to traffic-related calls for service on provincial highways.鈥�

The process of making the changes has taken over two years. The changes were approved in February 2023 with a new implementation date still to be announced.