The debate over policing in Surrey, B.C., got personal Monday when Mayor Brenda Locke accused Solicitor General Mike Farnworth of bullying and misogyny, after he suggested the city had been playing games with its handling of the matter.
Locke said Farnworth has been "a bully all the way through" the city council process that ultimately determined it would revert to the RCMP, well into the transition to an independent municipal force.
"I have worked in politics for a long time. I have worked in the liquor industry for a long time. I have never, ever, used the gender card," Locke said. "But in this case, I absolutely think there is misogyny going on, no doubt in my mind."
A representative of Farnworth's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Locke's claims.
Her remarks came after Farnworth issued a statement saying he became concerned last Wednesday after learning that a report on the future of policing in Surrey had not been shared with the province but would be put to a vote by council.
The minister said he asked Locke to share the report and delay the vote, but it went ahead before he had a chance to determine if the plan would ensure safe policing.
"It is critical that I receive this report. Now is not the time to play games. The safety of people in Surrey is too important," said his statement issued Monday morning.
Locke said it was "fearmongering" to suggest there were public safety issues in the city.
She had campaigned last fall on a promise to bring the RCMP back to Surrey after her predecessor, Doug McCallum, initiated the transition to a municipal force.
The B.C. government recommended in April that the city continue with its transition to the independent Surrey Police Service and offered $150 million in funding to help.
At the same time, Farnworth set out guidelines for city council to keep the RCMP.
"The City of Surrey gets to choose their police force, but my responsibility is the second part of that process, which is to ensure the safe and effective policing in the city of Surrey and the province and the requirements that I laid out a number of weeks ago are met," the minister told a news conference on Friday.
That's after Locke announced that council had voted to revert to the Mounties, saying it would be far less costly than continuing with the independent force.
Farnworth gave the city a deadline of 1 p.m. Monday to share its report, saying he'd otherwise be forced to make a determination about effective policing without it.
Locke said the report wasn't shared earlier because it hadn't yet been agreed upon by council and as of Monday morning the city hadn't received signed non-disclosure agreements from those with the province who want to review the document.
She said Farnworth's deadline left the city with one business day to send the report from the time council voted last Thursday.
"One day, and he expects us to have everything ready and a report to him by noon, and he's saying we're playing games?"
Locke said there is no plan in place for the city to continue its transition to a municipal force because that's not the decision council was making.
"The solicitor general, in the report that he gave us … said there were two options for the City of Surrey. We just didn't choose the one he preferred."
