B.C. recommends continuing transition to municipal police force in Surrey

[Ace Storman]

So I just read the headline on the Province Online Newspaper on the Surrey Police force transition and frankly I'm not surprised at to the non binding outcome. Several good points raised by all sides (City of Surrey, Province of BC and the RCMP service).
I think that one thing clearly stood out was an article published by Castanet which went on to say...

"British Columbia Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the government has reached a decision on which law enforcement agency it will approve after months of difficult deliberations.

The city had hired numerous policing staff and even a new chief for the Surrey Police Service when voters elected a mayor and several councillors last fall who opposed the change.

Mayor Brenda Locke campaigned on the promise to move back to the RCMP, saying it will be less expensive, but both the RCMP and the Surrey Police Service are currently working in the city.

The B.C. government had previously approved the switch to the municipal force, and now it has to reveal if the city can reverse the decision.

Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says he lacked information from the government to make a decision on which police force to support, while Green Leader Sonia Furstenau says whatever the decision is, not everyone will be pleased and it will be expensive".

What I found really entertaining and somewhat nauseating is the comment made by the leader of the BCUP..."Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says he lacked information from the government to make a decision on which police force to support".

Mr Falcon, really...it's NOT your decision to make, never was and never will be! If you wanted more information, you should have read the various news articles like the rest of us. There was plenty of online articles which would have kept you up to date. It's just another comment to garner yet another headline.

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/423836 ... rce#423836

[1092]

Right decision!! the RCMP have not solved any major crime in Canada, they either file it for ages or sweep it under the carpet.
Some great persons serve in the force, but the organization is a joke. There are too many incidents to relate to here. We need a BC Provincial Police Force.

[Babba_not_Gump]

What a cluster *bleep* the Surrey police issue has turned out to be.
Too bad there wasn't a third option.

[Urban Cowboy]

So I just read the headline on the Province Online Newspaper on the Surrey Police force transition and frankly I'm not surprised at to the non binding outcome. Several good points raised by all sides (City of Surrey, Province of BC and the RCMP service).
I think that one thing clearly stood out was an article published by Castanet which went on to say...

"British Columbia Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the government has reached a decision on which law enforcement agency it will approve after months of difficult deliberations.

The city had hired numerous policing staff and even a new chief for the Surrey Police Service when voters elected a mayor and several councillors last fall who opposed the change.

Mayor Brenda Locke campaigned on the promise to move back to the RCMP, saying it will be less expensive, but both the RCMP and the Surrey Police Service are currently working in the city.

The B.C. government had previously approved the switch to the municipal force, and now it has to reveal if the city can reverse the decision.

Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says he lacked information from the government to make a decision on which police force to support, while Green Leader Sonia Furstenau says whatever the decision is, not everyone will be pleased and it will be expensive".

What I found really entertaining and somewhat nauseating is the comment made by the leader of the BCUP..."Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says he lacked information from the government to make a decision on which police force to support".

Mr Falcon, really...it's NOT your decision to make, never was and never will be! If you wanted more information, you should have read the various news articles like the rest of us. There was plenty of online articles which would have kept you up to date. It's just another comment to garner yet another headline.

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/423836 ... rce#423836

You're pretty clueless if you think every detail pertaining to the switch has been made public.

The stated yearly cost to Surrey, being north of 30 million more than staying with the RCMP, suggests that keeping the RCMP would be the fiscally responsible option. What details are we not privy to though that have an impact on the decision?

All I see is some union execs, licking their chops, planning how they can exploit whatever choice is made.

[Ace Storman]

What a cluster *bleep* the Surrey police issue has turned out to be.
Too bad there wasn't a third option.

Well perhaps there is a third option....a Provincial Police Force.

[Ace Storman]

So I just read the headline on the Province Online Newspaper on the Surrey Police force transition and frankly I'm not surprised at to the non binding outcome. Several good points raised by all sides (City of Surrey, Province of BC and the RCMP service).
I think that one thing clearly stood out was an article published by Castanet which went on to say...

"British Columbia Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the government has reached a decision on which law enforcement agency it will approve after months of difficult deliberations.

The city had hired numerous policing staff and even a new chief for the Surrey Police Service when voters elected a mayor and several councillors last fall who opposed the change.

Mayor Brenda Locke campaigned on the promise to move back to the RCMP, saying it will be less expensive, but both the RCMP and the Surrey Police Service are currently working in the city.

The B.C. government had previously approved the switch to the municipal force, and now it has to reveal if the city can reverse the decision.

Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says he lacked information from the government to make a decision on which police force to support, while Green Leader Sonia Furstenau says whatever the decision is, not everyone will be pleased and it will be expensive".

What I found really entertaining and somewhat nauseating is the comment made by the leader of the BCUP..."Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says he lacked information from the government to make a decision on which police force to support".

Mr Falcon, really...it's NOT your decision to make, never was and never will be! If you wanted more information, you should have read the various news articles like the rest of us. There was plenty of online articles which would have kept you up to date. It's just another comment to garner yet another headline.

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/423836 ... rce#423836

You're pretty clueless if you think every detail pertaining to the switch has been made public.

The stated yearly cost to Surrey, being north of 30 million more than staying with the RCMP, suggests that keeping the RCMP would be the fiscally responsible option. What details are we not privy to though that have an impact on the decision?

All I see is some union execs, licking their chops, planning how they can exploit whatever choice is made.

Yes, indeed. Many details pertinent to the creation of a municipal force were hush hush as were the details in keeping the RCMP. Under McCallum's watch is where the system failed. He failed the resident's of Surrey! He was not truthful and transparent in his approach to this policing issue. I has come back to bite everyone. It was an election promise, he took a poke at it and surprisingly won. He bullied his way thru the process just to get his way. Later goes on to loose his re-election bid and ends up being known as a looser! He's old, miserable and tired.

There is definitely a fault in terms of spending of municipal funds once they reach a cap of $XXX. Such major issues (moving from a federal police force (RCMP) to a municipal police force should include an ACCURATE business plan, ACCURATE financial plan (a.k.a. a real budget) and presented to the residents of Surrey and moved to a public referendum. Decisions made by two or three people are very problematic.

As for the BCUP leader Falcon, he has about just as much old baggage on board as that of McCallum! Can't say for certain as to who has more.

[techrtr]

I can totally understand frustration with the RCMP and once the transition to a municipal force was started, it should have continued even with a new mayor and council. Too much had already been done (and spent) to stop mid stream. As usual, the NDP has no backbone. They talk a lot but really, what do they ever actually accomplish?

[mullyman]

What a cluster *bleep* the Surrey police issue has turned out to be.
Too bad there wasn't a third option.

Well perhaps there is a third option....a Provincial Police Force.

been there.. done that..

[Babba_not_Gump]

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/432278 ... dent-force
Surrey, B.C., to stay with RCMP over independent force

For better or worse, Surrey has finally made a decision.

What a clusterfork that has turned into.
IMO, the latest mayor was as bad as the other. I just feel sorry for those officers joined the Surrey Police Services. Now what's in store for them? Hopefully there are options given to them that are fair.

[Bsuds]

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/432278 ... dent-force
Surrey, B.C., to stay with RCMP over independent force

For better or worse, Surrey has finally made a decision.

What a clusterfork that has turned into.
IMO, the latest mayor was as bad as the other. I just feel sorry for those officers joined the Surrey Police Services. Now what's in store for them? Hopefully there are options given to them that are fair.

Well the RCMP is short manpower so they should be a shoe in to join.

[my5cents]

The RCMP are short many member and can't find enough qualified candidates to train. The RCMP is short members in just about every jurisdiction, in BC and other provinces. If Surrey had dumped the RCMP, the members freed up could have back filled all the areas where they were short. Now Surrey will need (and likely not get too soon) more members to get Surrey up to full staffing.

This was the wrong decision.

The RCMP are not suitable for any large municipal police force and Surrey is the largest.

I truly hope the Canadian government re-vamp the RCMP to be a federal police force only, and help each province to set up it's own provincial police force, with corresponding rural municipal forces staffed by the respective provincial police force.

But when the dust clears, Surrey really should have it's own municipal force no matter if we have a provincial police force or RCMP.

[featfan]

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/432278 ... dent-force
Surrey, B.C., to stay with RCMP over independent force

For better or worse, Surrey has finally made a decision.

What a clusterfork that has turned into.
IMO, the latest mayor was as bad as the other. I just feel sorry for those officers joined the Surrey Police Services. Now what's in store for them? Hopefully there are options given to them that are fair.

72 Million dollars in severance pay. Wow

[Drip_Torch]

What a windfall for SPS members though.

72 million in severance going out and they'll all be able to find jobs starting the day after their termination. Does it get any better? Who doesn't love money for nothing?

When you really think this through everybody wins. The crystal and carpet cops in Ottawa win back their largest municipal contract. Brenda Locke wins. The Provincial taxpayer wins, we're no longer helping with the transition costs. The SPS members all win. Recruiters from every municipal police force in western Canada win. The organized crimesters in the lower mainland all win, and the voters of Surrey all think they won. It's awesome - really.

This was the wrong decision.

The RCMP are not suitable for any large municipal police force and Surrey is the largest.

That. 100% that. ↑↑↑↑

.

[Ken7]

Finalized, the City will retain the RCMP.

This is going to be extremely costly....let the show begin. Law suits will be plenty as professionals left their careers to join the Surrey Municipal Department. RCMP signed off on their force and will not likely wanting to go back.

Good luck Surrey!!

[my5cents]

This era (or is that error) where governments undo agreements inked by previous governments is destabilizing. Who would feel confident signing a contract with a government that is nearing an election, with so many backing out of agreements made by a previous governments. From federal governments rescinding agreements with other countries to this.

Having RCMP police a city, town or area is cheaper. Is that the only criteria we should use to determine who supplies this service ?