"They want this to be over": Deadline day coming for Surrey police transition, but questions remain
In the seemingly never-ending he said, she said, over the City of Surrey’s policing force, the province has outlined new details as to when the RCMP will begin being fazed out.
However, many questions still remain and critics aren’t keeping their thoughts to themselves over the move.
On Tuesday, BC Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced that the municipal force, the Surrey Police Service, will take over as the police of jurisdiction for the city on November 29, 2024.
“The people of Surrey have told us they want this to be over. We agree, and we’re taking action to ensure safety and certainty for people in Surrey,” said Farnworth.
“People’s safety — in Surrey and across the province — is non-negotiable, and today I am setting the target date for the SPS becoming police of jurisdiction in Surrey, the next step toward completing this transition, which the city is required by law to do,” he added in a release following the announcement.
While November will see a changing of command, the RCMP will remain on to support.
Farnworth also reiterated that the City of Surrey asked the Province in January for its support in transitioning to the SPS, despite the mayor’s election promise to do the opposite.
But while the province had earlier said that the city had missed out on a chance to get millions in funding to assist in that transition, it is now putting $150 million back on the table to prevent the transition from falling onto taxpayers.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and the city council rejected an agreement that included a 10-year financial commitment.
The messaging continues to confuse many in comments on social media.
Where is the $110 Million & $150 Million that Farnworth had promised? None of it was ever assigned through the Treasury for Surrey. Just more lies. The corruption within the BCNDP & their Surrey MLAs is appalling. All working together against the vote of the Surrey. Dictatorship!
— Debbie Theilmann (@DebbieTheilmann) April 23, 2024
Many who supported the “Keep the RCMP in Surrey” campaign are also not celebrating and are calling out the NDP government for allegedly overstepping.
Not exciting at all. Surrey voted to keep RCMP. BCNDP took that away from us. It will bite them, can’t wait.
— Julie (@Juliedarlene5) April 23, 2024
The transition will also come a month after a provincial election, and some commenters suggest their anger over the move will be reflected in the polls.
Daily Hive reached out to Mayor Locke for comment and will update this piece when and if that becomes available.
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