Close X
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. premier says spat over Surrey police force 'no longer up for discussion'

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 Oct, 2023 01:40 PM
  • B.C. premier says spat over Surrey police force 'no longer up for discussion'

British Columbia Premier David Eby says a court challenge by the City of Surrey over being forced to continue the transition to a municipal police service "will not be successful."

Eby says Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke "fought a good fight" in attempting to move the RCMP back to its police force of jurisdiction, but that the decision to move ahead with a municipal force has been made by his government and is no longer up for discussion.

Surrey filed a petition to the court this month, asking for a judicial review of the government's directive earlier this year to continue its transition to a local police force, claiming the province doesn't have the authority to force the change without enough funding to support it.

Solicitor General Mike Farnworth introduced legislation Monday that would force the city to provide policing with a municipal force.

Eby says the municipality's legal challenge is a waste of taxpayers' money and the two sides need to sit down and figure out a way forward.

The city has said it would face a shortfall of $314 million over a 10-year period if it was forced to complete the transition to the Surrey Police Service, while the province has offered $150 million to aid the shift.

Eby says it's important that Locke raised concerns about implementation costs and the province will be "a good partner to address those issues."

"But whether or not we're moving forward to a municipal force is no longer up for discussion," he said.

"We are moving forward to a municipal force in Surrey and for everybody's benefit we need to just get on with that work. And I look forward to working with the mayor on that."

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent in June

Inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent in June
The inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent in June, but Statistics Canada is also reporting grocery prices shot up 9.1 per cent from year-ago levels. That's even more than prices rose in May.

Inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent in June

Record wildfire season in B.C. for area burned with almost 400 fires in the province

Record wildfire season in B.C. for area burned with almost 400 fires in the province
The B.C. Wildfire Service website says 13,935 square kilometres have been burned since April 1, surpassing the previous record of 13,543 square kilometres set in 2018. But there are still months to go in this year's season and the service says there are almost 400 fires currently burning.

Record wildfire season in B.C. for area burned with almost 400 fires in the province

Municipal police chief casts doubt on effectiveness of B.C. drug decriminalization

Municipal police chief casts doubt on effectiveness of B.C. drug decriminalization
Delta Police Chief Constable Neil Dubord says in the letter that while he agrees with "the underlying principles of decriminalization," an early evaluation shows that the policy has not led to "the desired outcome." Dubord says there were 791 overdose deaths in the province between then and May, which "closely mirrors" the 772 deaths recorded during the same period last year.

Municipal police chief casts doubt on effectiveness of B.C. drug decriminalization

Inmate dies in police custody

Inmate dies in police custody
Correctional officials say an inmate has died while in the custody of a prison in Abbotsford, B-C. The Pacific Institution says in a statement that Douglas Gordon Martin died on July 14.

Inmate dies in police custody

Coquitlam RCMP need public's assistance locating missing man Syed Mustafa

Coquitlam RCMP need public's assistance locating missing man Syed Mustafa
Coquitlam RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing man, 36-year old Syed Mustafa. Syed was last seen early June camping near Twin Islands, Belcarra British Columbia. Syed’s family and Police are concerned for Syeds’s well-being.   

Coquitlam RCMP need public's assistance locating missing man Syed Mustafa

Man and woman charged after multiple random shootings in Edmonton: police

Man and woman charged after multiple random shootings in Edmonton: police
A 31-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman face charges after a series of shootings in Edmonton over the weekend that police say were random.  Edmonton police say Tariq Sayed Mohammed Aman and Neanna Wuttunee jointly face a total of 35 charges.

Man and woman charged after multiple random shootings in Edmonton: police