The British Columbia government has directed the City of Surrey to move forward with the Surrey Police Service (SPS) and scrap the RCMP. .“People’s safety, in Surrey and across the province, is non-negotiable,” said BC Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth in a Wednesday press release. .“The city has failed to meet the requirements I placed to prevent a situation where there are not enough police officers to keep people safe in Surrey.” .Farnworth said the BC government cannot allow people in Surrey or other communities to be put at risk. He added British Columbians “need to know that when they call the police, help will come — and people in Surrey want this uncertainty over who will police their city to end, and to know that they will be safe in their community.”.The BC government encouraged Surrey to follow through on its transition from the RCMP to the SPS in April because it provides public safety for the city and throughout the province..READ MORE: BC government recommends continuing transition away from RCMP in Surrey.“Everyone deserves to be safe in their community and all British Columbians deserve secure, stable policing they can count on,” said Farnworth. .“The people of Surrey are very frustrated by years of uncertainty over this debate, but we must move forward without reducing police presence when we need it the most.” .Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said in April she will not be abiding by the BC government’s request to move towards the SPS. .READ MORE: Surrey mayor refuses BC’s recommendation to get rid of RCMP.“The BC Police Act states clearly: The choice of police is under the purview of the municipality,” said Locke. .Elected on a promise to keep the RCMP in Surrey, she vowed to continue to do that, slamming Farnworth for a decision she viewed as “extraordinarily disrespectful.”.The BC government went on to say the public safety minister and solicitor general has considered Surrey’s corporate report on moving back to the RCMP. It said the minister has determined for the second time it failed to demonstrate moving back to it will be safe and not affect other communities throughout the province, so it did not meet the requirements imposed on the process. .This decision was made under Section 2 of the Police Act, which states the minister and solicitor general must ensure adequate, effective law enforcement is maintained throughout the province. It was made to avoid a crisis in policing in Surrey, which would have pulled officers from other parts of it as they are redeployed to fill critical gaps. .Based on documents provided by the city, the minister concluded it failed to meet requirements to prevent an exodus of SPS officers or to staff up RCMP without pulling those from other communities. The RCMP continues to experience a critical vacancy problem in BC and across Canada. .In order to facilitate moving forward with the SPS, the BC government said it has former BC Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald as the strategic implementation advisor. It said she will aid parties in meeting timelines, facilitate dispute resolution, and ensure effective communication and completion of the transition. .BC has recommitted to providing Surrey with $150 million to offset the costs of moving forward with the SPS to prevent them from being passed on to residents and businesses. The minister will begin consultation on legislation being considered for the fall to ensure this type of situation never happens again. .Farnworth concluded by saying the SPS is “the only path forward to ensuring the safety of the people of Surrey, as well as people across the province, and for putting in place the long-term, stable policing they need.” .“Effective collaboration between the city, the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP is essential to continue the transition, and I have made it clear to all parties that I expect them to work together to achieve our common goal of safety for people in Surrey,” he said.
