Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
National

Group calls for vote on Surrey, B.C., police force

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Nov, 2021 05:22 PM
  • Group calls for vote on Surrey, B.C., police force

SURREY, B.C. - A group opposing the planned transition from the RCMP to a municipal police force in Surrey, B.C., says it has collected close to 43,000 signatures from residents calling for a referendum on policing in the city.

Darlene Bennett launched the campaign with the group Surrey Police Vote over concerns about rising costs associated with starting a new municipal police force, which was a key pledge in Mayor Doug McCallum's election campaign in 2018.

The city council voted in favour of the transition in 2018, the public safety minister approved the creation of the Surrey Police Board last year, and Surrey's budget for 2021 showed the transition was $18.5 million more than the original $45-million cost estimate.

Amber Stowe, media relations lead with McCallum's office, says the mayor would not comment on the petition before Elections BC delivers the final result.

A statement from the Surrey Police Union says the 42,942 signatures collected by the Surrey Police Vote initiative falls far below the legislative requirement of 10 per cent of voters from all 87 electoral districts in B.C. in order to trigger a referendum.

Bennett said upon launching the petition that the initiative would not campaign across the province, rather it would focus on the nine electoral districts in Surrey in hopes of demonstrating the need for a regional referendum to the provincial government.

B.C.'s Referendum Act gives provincial cabinet the power to order a referendum in a particular region, campaign strategist Bill Tieleman said in a statement on Monday.

The petition's signatures represent about 13.5 per cent of about 318,000 registered voters in Surrey's nine districts, according to a 2017 tally from Elections BC.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

New COVID-19 modelling numbers coming in B.C.

New COVID-19 modelling numbers coming in B.C.
On Monday, the province reported seven more deaths and 1,853 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed over a three-day period from Friday to Monday. From Friday to Saturday, there were 769 cases, but the number dropped to 503 on Sunday to Monday.

New COVID-19 modelling numbers coming in B.C.

O'Toole, Singh campaign denounce protesters

O'Toole, Singh campaign denounce protesters
The leader's warning came one day after several Conservative campaign workers were spotted among a crowd of raucous protesters who forced the cancellation of a Liberal event featuring Justin Trudeau in Bolton, Ont.

O'Toole, Singh campaign denounce protesters

'Reconsider' travel to Canada, U.S. CDC warns

'Reconsider' travel to Canada, U.S. CDC warns
The new Level 3 travel advisory, issued today, marks a quick end to a three-week period when the warning to would-be travellers to Canada had been eased to "exercise increased caution."

'Reconsider' travel to Canada, U.S. CDC warns

1853 COVID19 cases over 3 days

1853 COVID19 cases over 3 days
84.2% (3,904,121) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 76.4% (3,541,731) received their second dose.

1853 COVID19 cases over 3 days

Cleaning, dietary workers coming back in-house at B.C. hospitals

Cleaning, dietary workers coming back in-house at B.C. hospitals
The province is working with the Hospital Employees' Union, health authorities and contractors on its plan, he said. The transition to government employment will end before most of the contracts expire by March, Dix said.

Cleaning, dietary workers coming back in-house at B.C. hospitals

Charges laid for fire that razed Coptic Orthodox Church, 35 year old woman arrested

Charges laid for fire that razed Coptic Orthodox Church, 35 year old woman arrested
The St. George church was the target of two incidents of arson, the first on July 14, the second on July 19, 2021, that destroyed the church.  Following an investigation by the Surrey RCMP Major Crime Section, a 35-year old woman was arrested on August 26, 2021.

Charges laid for fire that razed Coptic Orthodox Church, 35 year old woman arrested