Surrey continuing with the RCMP would create policing shortage in rest of B.C., Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth says
Surrey decided in 2018 to end its contract with the RCMP and instead start a municipal force, the Surrey Police Service. The shift was championed by the city’s mayor at the time, Doug McCallum, who argued a local force would be more responsive to the community.
“The RCMP have significant recruiting challenges right now, and with 1,500 vacancies across B.C. we cannot afford to make it worse,” he said. Ms. Locke said her council will stick to its commitment to keep the RCMP, calling the province’s approach disgraceful and saying she won’t be bought off with last-minute offers of cash.Brian Sauvé, president and chief executive of the National Police Federation, the union that represents RCMP officers below the rank of inspector, welcomed Ms. Locke’s support.
If Surrey chooses to proceed with the municipal force, he said, the province will help the city deal with the estimated $30-million in extra annual costs it will need to shoulder as a result. This is the first time the province has offered any money to help with the transition, or contributed to a B.C. city’s police budget. Mr. Farnworth did not say how long that assistance would last.
The Surrey Police Service has already hired 397 officers and civilians during its two years of operation. Surrey council authorized 843 officer positions.
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