Friday April 28, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 5:55 am April 29, 2023]
Analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The Province is recommending the City of Surrey continue its transition to the Surrey Police Service (SPS), because it ensures public safety for people in Surrey and throughout British Columbia, while offering financial assistance to protect Surrey taxpayers.
The recommendation comes after a systematic report by the director of police services concerning plans put forward by the City of Surrey, RCMP and the Surrey Police Service (SPS). Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, has agreed that the best way to achieve public safety in B.C., especially given the ongoing RCMP vacancy challenges, while putting this difficult time behind Surrey, is with a municipal police force.
The announcement was made by Farnworth this morning at 9:30 am in Victoria.
“This finally closes this chapter of confusion and uncertainty,” the Solicitor General said.
This has been one of the most complex scenarios for the government to sort out, and for Farnworth one of the most difficult decisions he has had to make in his many years as Solicitor General, he said today. The overall goal is “safe and effective policing for the City of Surrey”, Farnworth told media.
The transition to the SPS is well advanced, with approximately 400 officers and support staff hired.
Under B.C.’s Police Act, a municipality with a population of more than 5,000 has the authority to provide its policing and law enforcement by means of establishing its own municipal police department.
In 2018, City of Surrey council decided to move away from Surrey’s RCMP police model and opt for its own municipal police department, the SPS.
Surrey’s costs will be covered:
This comes after the new Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has since her election in October 2022 been advocating for the continuation of RCMP as the police force for Surrey. However, even across Canada it has been observed that policing in large municipal areas (like Surrey) require more specialized and distinctly organized policing that differs from the more rural and traditional policing style of the RCMP.
Farnworth says Surrey’s mayor has been correct about the $30 million cost for a local Surrey service (with 734 police officers) compared to the RCMP service. The province will cover that cost, said Farnworth.
There would also be a $72 million severance cost that the province will cover, he said.
Surrey still to decide:
It is still up to the City of Surrey to decide which way to go. But the Province has the higher level of political sway and the challenge about fewer RCMP recruits in recent years cannot realistically be denied.
It’s unclear how Surrey council can say no to the BC government’s powerful guidance in this situation. The Province is offering a lot of money to help Surrey save face for a turnound in their current mayor’s stance that the large city should continue with the RCMP as their police force.
Not being heavy-handed:
The Province would not wish to be seen as heavy-handed on any one municipality. But Surrey does appear to be turning a blind eye to the realities of RCMP staffing shortages.
And overall, BC is setting a leadership tone for other municipalities across the country, as to options when policing is no longer the right fit for a growing or changing municipal area. Increasing immigration numbers across the country will lead to other municipalities having to respond to similar growth challenges in the years ahead.
RCMP vacancies:
Currently, there are approximately 1,500 RCMP vacancies throughout the province. The difficulty in finding RCMP recruits has been a challenge for several years across Canada.
The BC Government’s report states that Surrey reverting back to the RCMP would exacerbate the challenges faced by municipalities and Indigenous communities by increasing demand for officers and aggravate public-safety concerns. Filling RCMP vacancies is the responsibility of the federal government.
Surrey is presently the largest RCMP detachment in the country.
Not the time to put safety at risk:
“Everyone deserves to be safe in their community and all British Columbians deserve secure, stable policing they can count on,” said Farnworth today.
“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. Now is not the time to put public safety at risk in Surrey or in any community in the province.”
Transition involves retention and recruitment:
The report by the director of police services details how the transition to SPS can be safely undertaken. The report also details concerns about the RCMP͛s current retention and recruitment challenges and outlines potential implications on the RCMP police presence in other regions of the province if the transition is reversed.
Reviewing the report:
The Solicitor General’s report is 500 pages long, and Farnworth asks that the City of Surrey take the time it requires to study all the details and recommendations.
Link to the director of police services’ report.
No tax impact on Surrey residents:
The Province has offered financial support to the City of Surrey in the transition to a municipal police force to ensure no additional costs to Surrey residents.
“This path forward will ensure safer policing for all regions of the province, including the people of Surrey, and provincial support will help keep them from paying significant property tax increases,” Farnworth said.
Quick Facts:
- Under B.C.͛s Police Act, a municipality with a population of more than 5,000 has the authority to provide its policing and law enforcement by means of establishing its own municipal police department.
- In 2018, City of Surrey council decided to move away from Surrey͛s RCMP police model and opt for its own municipal police department, the SPS.
- The Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General approved the transition plan in February 2020 and the City of Surrey has been implementing the transition since that time.
- In November 2022, the City of Surrey͛s newly elected mayor and council decided to maintain the RCMP as its police model and reverse the transition.
- The transition to the SPS is well advanced, with approximately 400 officers and support staff hired.
- The ministry commissioned an independent financial analysis of the submissions that concludes the SPS͛ plan to staff 734 officers will cost approximately $30 million more per year than the RCMP.
- Additionally, the analysis confirmed the costs of severance from disbanding the SPS and reverting to the RCMP would cost the City of Surrey approximately $72 million.
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends has been covering politics, business, education and communities through a socioeconomic lens since 2008 on south Vancouver Island (previously as West Shore Voice News, and before that both Sooke Voice News and MapleLine Magazine).
Island Social Trends is posts news daily at islandsocialtrends.ca.
Mary P Brooke is the editor and publisher of Island Social Trends. Ms Brooke followed and wrote extensively about the COVID pandemic during 2020-2022, and continues to follow the topic as new developments arise. She has covered Sooke School District 62 (SD62) in-depth since 2014 and BC education more broadly for over 10 years. She now reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery.
Among other qualifications, Ms Brooke holds a health sciences B.Sc. (Foods & Nutrition), a university Certificate in Public Relations, and an industry certificate in digital marketing.