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Transition to Municipal Police Force

Basically this has become an issue that causes massive butthurt on both sides between residents and politicians in Surrey, as well as the respective SPS and RCMP unions. The drama has been ridiculous.

IMHO, as a city of a half million people, it’s long overdue for Surrey to have its own municipal police service.
Totally agree. Nobody has handled this well except the folks in the cars still answering the calls. Every management and union person near it has been a dingus.
 
Basically this has become an issue that causes massive butthurt on both sides between residents and politicians in Surrey, as well as the respective SPS and RCMP unions. The drama has been ridiculous.

IMHO, as a city of a half million people, it’s long overdue for Surrey to have its own municipal police service.

Many (I believe most) government programs, services, depts, and problem can be fixed or made better by a good return to Subsidiarity.

Subsidiarity - Wikipedia
 
The new Mayor was elected on a platform of keeping the RCMP... she's been poked in the eye, as have everyone who's voted for her, it would seem.
It was a stupid platform to have.

The Police Act belongs to the Province. They are only going to tolerate FAFO, so long, by a Municipality.
 
Basically this has become an issue that causes massive butthurt on both sides between residents and politicians in Surrey, as well as the respective SPS and RCMP unions. The drama has been ridiculous.

IMHO, as a city of a half million people, it’s long overdue for Surrey to have its own municipal police service.
They can't keep street level officers there because of burnout, not sure how the SPS is going to magically make that problem go away? RCMP at least can recruit nationally. It's unlikely the JI can provide enough recruits unless every Mountie transfers over.
 
Basically this has become an issue that causes massive butthurt on both sides between residents and politicians in Surrey, as well as the respective SPS and RCMP unions. The drama has been ridiculous.

IMHO, as a city of a half million people, it’s long overdue for Surrey to have its own municipal police service.
Well if the town of Altona Mb can have its own force….
 
From my vantage point 2300 km away, there was one mayor who got elected on a platform to replace the Mounties with a tiny proportion of eligible voters, make the transition secretive and more expensive than sold, then when the transition is almost complete, a new mayor is elected with a tiny proportion of eligible voters with a platform to stop the transition.

It’s a clusterfuck. 🤦‍♂️
 
They can't keep street level officers there because of burnout, not sure how the SPS is going to magically make that problem go away? RCMP at least can recruit nationally. It's unlikely the JI can provide enough recruits unless every Mountie transfers over.

No, but apparently SPS has attracted a decent number of RCMP laterals from outside of BC- Mounties who recruited out of the Lower Mainland and got sent God knows where. SPS is a way home.

Except now the Province now owns the problem when the SPS runs into the same issues that the RCMP had in regards to recruitment and retention. Plus they be competing with at least 5 other PD for the same people. For the Surrey Mayor they just made her life much easier.

Another consideration regarding those municipal forces- how many cops are working for, say, Vancouver or Delta Police, but living out in or past Maple Ridge due to housing costs? SPS as a municipal option could halve their commute.
 
I think the end game is a BC Provincial Force.
Perhaps, but is the end game to have just another deployed service police large municipalities? It's do-able; sort-of the Australian model. To me, the logical first step would be to regionalize the lower mainland and Greater Victoria areas.
 
Perhaps, but is the end game to have just another deployed service police large municipalities? It's do-able; sort-of the Australian model. To me, the logical first step would be to regionalize the lower mainland and Greater Victoria areas.
God, what mess both of those would be.

Have you followed the drama between Esquimalt and Victoria?

Now add Oak Bay, View Royal, Saanich, Central Saanich, North Saanich, Sidney and the West Shore into the mix…
 
God, what mess both of those would be.

Have you followed the drama between Esquimalt and Victoria?

Now add Oak Bay, View Royal, Saanich, Central Saanich, North Saanich, Sidney and the West Shore into the mix…

Here's an artist's rendition of what might happen ;)

Black Friday Animation GIF by Max
 
No, but apparently SPS has attracted a decent number of RCMP laterals from outside of BC- Mounties who recruited out of the Lower Mainland and got sent God knows where. SPS is a way home.



Another consideration regarding those municipal forces- how many cops are working for, say, Vancouver or Delta Police, but living out in or past Maple Ridge due to housing costs? SPS as a municipal option could halve their commute.
It will be interesting, I know my buddy has no interest in staying there and will be looking for a posting in the lower mainland. I wonder if they are going to Grandfather the laterals pension provisions? I remember the Port promised pensions would not change when they took over the Fed employed there and then changed away from indexed pensions.
 
The latest act in this drama...


Surrey says it's going to court to stop transition to municipal police force​

City has retained former RCMP officer Peter German to help with B.C. Supreme Court petition​



Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says the transition to a municipal police force will be too costly for residents of her city. (Ben Nelms/CBC)


The City of Surrey says it's filing a petition in B.C. Supreme Court challenging the province's order to transition away from the RCMP to a municipal police force.

In July, the B.C. government used its powers to order the city to continue the transition to the new Surrey Police Service (SPS), which had been established under previous mayor Doug McCallum's tenure.

The move effectively forced Surrey city council to reverse an earlier decision to stick with the RCMP, which had been a major part of Mayor Brenda Locke's campaign leading to her election last October.

On Friday, Locke argued the transition would cause an unacceptable tax increase at a time when Surrey residents are struggling to pay the bills.

"My team and I were elected to stop the proposed police transition," Locke said in a news release.


 
On Friday, Locke argued the transition would cause an unacceptable tax increase at a time when Surrey residents are struggling to pay the bills.
There must be some reason she can keep making that claim, but I don't know what it is.

Here's what I know:
City of Surrey financial report for 2022:
  • revenues = $1424.5 million
  • expenses = $945.2 million

Thus, surplus = $479.3 million.

Cost of police services = $231.3 million.

Estimates of additional yearly cost over next 5 years if transition is pursued, according to various news articles = approximately $50 million.

Obviously $479.3 - $50 = $429.3 is still a surplus.
 
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