Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

Keeping RCMP saves Surrey, B.C., $235M: report

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 13 Dec, 2022 01:07 PM
  • Keeping RCMP saves Surrey, B.C., $235M: report

SURREY, B.C. - City council in Surrey, B.C., has voted to send a plan to the province to keep the RCMP as its police force, saying it would save $235 million over five years.

Mayor Brenda Locke, who campaigned on a promise to retain the RCMP, says that savings for Surrey taxpayers is enormous and the city must stick with the Mounties because it can’t afford to make the change.

The report says the cost of 734 officers with the Surrey Police Service would be $249,460 per officer, while each Mountie would be $205,990.

The city says the plan will be sent to Solicitor General Mike Farnworth by Dec. 15 for his final review and approval, and Locke says she expects an answer back by early in the new year.

Locke says a prompt decision from Farnworth is essential to prevent any further unnecessary spending.

The Surrey Police Service, which is well into its transition in the city, says in a statement the report overestimates how many of its officers would join the Surrey RCMP and doesn't consider $100 million in costs that have already been incurred.

MORE National ARTICLES

Wind, snow hit parts of B.C. for another day

Wind, snow hit parts of B.C. for another day
Strong winds continue to buffet parts of coastal B.C. and the central Interior, packing gusts of at least 110 kilometres per hour along the north and central coasts, pushing wind chill factors in Terrace and elsewhere to -20 or lower.

Wind, snow hit parts of B.C. for another day

Relentless toll for overdose deaths: BC Coroner

Relentless toll for overdose deaths: BC Coroner
The service says 171 people died of toxic drugs in September, bringing the total for the year to 1,644, the largest number ever recorded for the first nine months of a calendar year.

Relentless toll for overdose deaths: BC Coroner

Immigrants successful at finding jobs in Canada: Survey

Immigrants successful at finding jobs in Canada: Survey
Immigrants who arrived in Canada over the past five years had an employment rate of 70.7 per cent, a higher rate than October 2019, pre-pandemic, the Labour Force Survey data 2022 released by Statistics Canada said.

Immigrants successful at finding jobs in Canada: Survey

Health ministers meeting in B.C. this week

Health ministers meeting in B.C. this week
The meeting comes after Canada's premiers met in Victoria last July, where they asked Ottawa to boost the Canada Health Transfer, the money each jurisdiction gets for health care, to 35 per cent, up from what they said amounts to 22 per cent.

Health ministers meeting in B.C. this week

Playland invests $9M in Canada's fastest new roller coaster

Playland invests $9M in Canada's fastest new roller coaster
The new linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch coaster will occupy the previous location of the retired Corkscrew Coaster, and construction will begin in 2023 with opening targeted for 2024. This is the largest single attraction investment made by Playland and signals a bright future for Playland.

Playland invests $9M in Canada's fastest new roller coaster

Bears in Squamish attacks won't be captured

Bears in Squamish attacks won't be captured
The Squamish Estuary trail network, a conservation area next to the mountain community's downtown centre about 60 kilometres north of Vancouver, will be closed until further notice. Bears are stressed at this time of year, as they seek food ahead of denning, which is expected in a few weeks as the weather cools.

Bears in Squamish attacks won't be captured