National

Surrey councillors mull future of municipal police

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Nov, 2022 10:42 AM

SURREY, B.C. - Councillors in Surrey are set to consider a staff report that contains an option to halt all spending and hiring for that city's fledgling Surrey Police Service.

The report provides an update on the state of the transition from the RCMP to the municipal police force, also known as the SPS, that was formally established in 2020 under former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum.

Newly elected Mayor Brenda Locke campaigned to halt the switch and keep the Mounties in Surrey, and the report lays out the steps the new council must take to reverse the integration.

It presents two options, with the first stopping further spending on the SPS while a plan is submitted to the province for approval to end the integration and "ramp down" the municipal police agency.

The second option would continue the transition to a municipal force and move to Phase 2 of that process.

The report says timeliness of any decision, from city council and the province, is a priority to reduce uncertainty for staff, the community and future budgeting.

Surrey councillors are expected to consider the staff report late Monday at their first full meeting since being sworn in last week, following municipal elections in October.

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