The most awaited decision of the year for Surrey residents is out. BC’s Public Safety minister Mike Farnworth has strongly recommendedCity of Surrey continue its transitionits transition to the Surrey Police Service, because it ensures public safety for people in Surrey and throughout British Columbia.
While announcing the decision during a media conference on Friday, April 28, he said, “This is one of the most difficult decisions I had to make as the Public Safety Minister. However, this is one of the most important decisions because public safety is undeniable. The consequences won’t be felt in the city of Surrey or in Lower Mainland but across the province.”
The recommendation comes after a systematic report by the director of police services concerning plans put forward by the City of Surrey, RCMP and the Surrey Police Service (SPS). The report analysed best way forward to ensure public safety and safety of all the communities. The director of policing service has produced a thorough and unbiased 500 pages report regarding policing transition. “And the recommendation is that City of Surrey continues the transition to the Surrey Police service.”
In addition, an independent analysis by Deloitte provided analysis of operation cost and transition cost for both the services.
The report details how the transition to SPS can be safely undertaken. The report also details concerns about the RCMP’s current retention and recruitment challenges and outlines potential implications on the RCMP police presence in other regions of the province if the transition is reversed.
Currently, there are approximately 1,500 RCMP vacancies throughout the province. The report states that Surrey reverting back to the RCMP would exacerbate the challenges faced by municipalities and Indigenous communities by increasing demand for officers and aggravate public-safety concerns. Filling RCMP vacancies is the responsibility of the federal government.
According to the report the costs of severance from disbanding the SPS and reverting to the RCMP would cost the City of Surrey approximately $72 million.
There is cost associated with the transition too. However, Minister Farnworth said that province is ready to sit down with the City officials and offer financial support to the City of Surrey in the transition to a municipal police force to ensure no additional costs to Surrey residents and businesses. “The province said it will provide financial support to cover the costs of the transition if Surrey sticks with the Surrey Police Service (SPS) — estimated at up to $150 million over the next five years — but will not provide financial assistance if it reverts back to the RCMP, which would include approximately $72 million in severance that would have to be given to SPS officers.”
“Everyone deserves to be safe in their community and all British Columbians deserve secure, stable policing they can count on,” Farnworth said. “The people of Surrey are very frustrated by years of uncertainty over this debate, but we must move forward without reducing police presence when we need it the most. Now is not the time to put public safety at risk in Surrey or in any community in the province.”
Although Surrey people would have preferred a decision one way or the other, so that they could get the issue behind and move on, the minister decided to us word “recommend”. When asked why the Public Safety Minister was not making any straight decision and just using the term recommendation he said, “I have made a decision on the powers that I have under the existing policing act and the decision is that strong recommendation that the City of Surrey continues with the policing transition of Surrey Police Service.”
He said that his responsibility is to ensure public safety in Surrey and not overburdening the taxpayers with the transition. Farnworthhas agreed that the best way to achieve public safety in B.C., especially given the ongoing RCMP vacancy challenges, while putting this difficult time behind Surrey, is with a municipal police force.
Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis said the provincial government’s report on policing in Surrey provides the sort of details needed for a public referendum on who should police British Columbia’s second largest city.
“I would have preferred a decision one way or the other, so that we could get the issue behind us and move on,” added Annis. “That didn’t happen today, but I’m grateful for the serious review the province has done, and I think this is the sort of information voters should have so they can decide who they want to police their city.”
Under B.C.’s Police Act, a municipality with a population of more than 5,000 has the authority to provide its policing and law enforcement by means of establishing its own municipal police department. In 2018, City of Surrey council decided to move away from Surrey’s RCMP police model and opt for its own municipal police department, the SPS.
The Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General approved the transition plan in February 2020 and the City of Surrey has been implementing the transition since that time.
In November 2022, the City of Surrey’s newly elected mayor and council decided to maintain the RCMP as its police model and reverse the transition.
But the transition to the SPS is well advanced, with approximately 400 officers and support staff hired. The ministry commissioned an independent financial analysis of the submissions that concludes the SPS’ plan to staff 734 officers will cost approximately $30 million more per year than the RCMP.
What happens to RCMP? Statements from Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and Surrey RCMP were not issued by the time this paper went to press.
