BC Liberals have promised to hold a referendum on switching to Surrey for municipal police forces

Read the statement “Surrey people are good”. “From conversations with thousands of voters in this campaign, it is clear that Surrey residents want a voice on the way forward.”

Surrey Mayor Dow McCullum Campaigned and won In the 2018 civil elections on the plan to replace the RCMP with the Municipal Force. McCullum has vowed that Surrey Police Department patrolling will begin in April 2021.

The city set the cost of the transition at $ 19 million.

In a written statement on Sunday, McCullum responded by saying that the Surrey Police Service was “playing politics with the completed deal and BC Liberals’ public safety of our residents”.

“I’m afraid the BC Liberal leader will be disappointed to this level in his attempt to win votes,” McCullum said.

“All the municipal governments in our province should be concerned if BC Liberals interfere in the unanimous decision of the elected city council.”

‘Desperate action’

Port Coquitlam BC NDP candidate Mike Farnworth, who recently served as Minister of Public Security and Solicitor General, called the Liberals’ “flip flop” on the issue a “desperate move.”

“[B.C. Liberal Leader] Andrew Wilkinson reversed the status quo of his own MLAs, claiming for months that it was a municipal responsibility, “Farnworth said in a written statement.

“A few days ago, Wilkinson admitted that he did not know enough about the matter. Today he proved that statement to be true,” he said.

Farnworth said policing is a municipal responsibility and it is the province’s role to ensure public safety.

‘We are very excited’

The team was called by coordinator Evan Scott Place the RCMP in Surrey, He was pleasantly surprised by this announcement.

“We’re very excited about this,” Scott said.

“We have at least one of the political parties now recognizing that the people of Surrey are against this transition and want their voices to be heard.”

Province Final approval for the plans was given in February. But at the same time, a report from former Attorney General Wally Opal, chairman of the Policing Transformation Committee, found that the timeline was ambitious.

Opposition from the National Police Federation

Since McCullum took office in 2018, Several city councilors resigned, Citing the lack of transparency around the transition to municipal police forces as a factor in their decisions.

It shows a survey commissioned by the union representing Montes Surrey residents want their civilian government to reconsider plans Switching to the Municipal Force during the epidemic.

There is the National Police Federation Its tone against transformation, The plan was not popular with many councilors and residents.

McCullum called on the federal board to disclose the full cost of the transition plan.