Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says more information is needed to 鈥渋nform further consideration鈥� as to whether Surrey should maintain the RCMP as its police department of jurisdiction or continue with the transition to the Surrey Police Service from the RCMP.

Farnworth released a statement to the press on Thursday saying ministry staff have done a 鈥渃omprehensive review鈥� of submissions received in December from the City of Surrey, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Surrey Police Service concerning the transition.

鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that considerable work has gone into developing these plans and reports, and I appreciate their timely submission,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he director of police services has determined that additional information is required to inform further consideration of the matter and has made a request to the parties for that information.

Do you agree with Mike Farnworth's decision to seek more information before making a final call on Surrey's policing future?

鈥� Surrey Now-Leader (@SurreyNowLeader)

鈥淭he policing transition in Surrey is unprecedented and complex and requires a full and in-depth analysis. I am grateful for the work all parties have undertaken to date. We will await their timely responses and look forward to continued collaboration,鈥� Farnworth added.

鈥淭his matter affects not only policing in Surrey, but across the province. The stability of policing is fundamental to ensuring our provincial responsibilities are met. Public safety in the City of Surrey and throughout British Columbia continues to be our core driving principle.鈥�

Locke said Thursday that Farnworth noted policing is Surrey鈥檚 decision to make, and that council has decided to maintain the RCMP.

鈥淭he City is now considering its options as I do not believe the province鈥檚 reason to delay its decision is justified,鈥� Locke said, calling the 鈥渋nability to make a timely decision鈥� unfair to SPS and RCMP officers and their families and an impediment to Surrey鈥檚 ability to complete its 2023 budget.

鈥淭he longer two police agencies are operating with this uncertainty, the more taxpayer dollars are being unnecessarily spent. The instability needs to come to an end, and a timely response is critical,鈥� she said.

鈥淭he City and the RCMP completed comprehensive plans on the steps forward to maintain the RCMP. We have clearly and thoroughly provided all the necessary details to demonstrate our ability to maintain the Surrey RCMP and can do so in a more cost effective and timely way than continuing with SPS.鈥�

Locke said the RCMP has 鈥渟erved Surrey well鈥� for 72 years and crime has been 鈥渢rending downward over the past decade.

鈥淚t is natural to want more information as we put our plans into effect. It is a waste of time to continue to do that work prior to the province鈥檚 decision. The Minister needs to confirm the city has already made the decision. Now we need to act to get more information and an action plan in place. The city is ready to act. The province needs to do the right thing and confirm the city has the right to this decision.鈥�

The RCMP has been Surrey鈥檚 police of jurisdiction since it took over from the Surrey Police on May 1, 1951, as the result of a plebiscite. Surrey鈥檚 is the largest RCMP detachment in all of Canada.

At the last Surrey council鈥檚 inaugural meeting on Nov. 5th, 2018 the council of the day, led by mayor Doug McCallum, served notice to the provincial and federal governments that it would end its contract with the RCMP to set up its own force.

Four years and one civic election later, on Nov. 14, 2022, the new council led by Brenda Locke decided on a 5-4 vote to maintain the Surrey RCMP as this city鈥檚 police of jurisdiction instead of forging ahead with the Surrey Police Service.

At Wednesday鈥檚 Surrey Police Board meeting (Jan. 25), Chief Const. Norm Lipinski told the board the fledgling force has 331 sworn officers, with 205 on the street and 46 or so in 鈥渧arious stages鈥� of training.

鈥淲e are quite robust, second biggest in B.C.,鈥� he said of the SPS. 鈥淥ur recruiting is strong.鈥�

So far, Lipinski said, the SPS is 20 per cent female, 21 per cent South Asian and 50 per cent from 鈥渃ulturally diverse backgrounds,鈥� speaking 38 languages all told.

鈥淲e are moving ahead but at a slower pace,鈥� he told the board as all await Farnworth鈥檚 decision. The next Surrey Police Board meeting is set for Feb. 22.

The board also lamented the NDP delay, issuing a statement Thursday that the SPS has been 鈥渇ully transparent and timely in its reporting to the provincial government.

鈥淚t is unfortunate that a matter of such critical importance to the community is being delayed, but we appreciate the work of the province in trying to move this process forward as quickly as possible, recognizing a final decision will have implications not only for Surrey but also the entire province,鈥� it reads.

Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman slammed the provincial government鈥檚 delay.

鈥淲e are extremely disappointed that the BC Government has compromised the public safety of our businesses and residents,鈥� she said Thursday. 鈥淥ur position is to retain the RCMP as Surrey鈥檚 public safety infrastructure. This continued delay in decision making by the BC Government holds Surrey as an economic hostage because economic investment decisions are being delayed without knowing what the future holds.鈥�

鈥淭he request for more information does not clarify what information was missing in the original submissions provided by the City of Surrey, the Surrey RCMP and the Surrey Police Service. This signals a further lack of transparency to the public and business community. Further, no timeline was given to the public on when a decision will be made.鈥�

More to come鈥�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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