SURREY Mayor Brenda Locke on Friday, while noting that she was opposed to the policing transition in the city and “did a lot to keep the RCMP in Surrey,” nevertheless stressed: “There are no more sides.”

She added, “We must be united in our efforts.” She told the Surrey Police Service “we wish you well and will have your back every step of the way.”

Locke said: “While it may have felt that like we were once on different sides of the public debate, I want to assure you that we will do everything in our power to support those who stand up to protect our citizens, our residents.”

Locke said: “Together, we can make the Surrey Police Service a service that is diverse, modern and responsive and principled and together we can make the Surrey Police Service the best municipal service in Canada.”

The historic change in policing in Surrey was marked by a press conference at Surrey Police Service Headquarters at 14355 57th Avenue with Surrey Police Service Chief Constable Norm Lipinski being joined by Locke, Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Garry Begg, and RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer, Criminal Operations Officer – Core Policing for the BC RCMP.

There was a traditional welcome and blessing from Chief Harley Chappell on behalf of the Semiahmoo First Nation.

Lipinski said: “Becoming  the police of jurisdiction is a significant milestone but it is not the end of the policing transition. We are still growing and our organization continues to grow in collaboration with the RCMP.”

He added: “The change of police of jurisdiction is a change in which police agency has command of policing for the entire city of Surrey. As of today, that has switched over to the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP has moved into a support role called the Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit. This unit will support policing in Surrey until the transition is fully completed.”

Surrey will also continue to be supported by the five Lower Mainland integrated teams including the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT).

At this time, SPS will be policing two of Surrey’s town centres: Whalley City Centre and Newton.

Lipinski said: “We will also have ownership of over 20 programs that will deliver citywide services such as Block Watch, Parent Helpline, Gang Prevention Programs such as the WRAP program. All told, SPS now has conduct over half of the policing services in the city and that will grow as we continue to scale up and the RCMP scales down their support role.”

He asserted: “I want to reassure the residents that the collective police support will be coordinated and ongoing through the coming months and both the RCMP and the SPS are here to serve the community together.”

Brewer said that over the next two years, the RCMP in Surrey will continue to operate in several ways. First, as part of the new Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit which will be led by the new Officer in Charge, Chief Superintendent Wendy Mehat.

Brewer said RCMP frontline members will serve in Guilfiord-Fleetwood, Cloverdale and South Surrey areas. They will also be providing investigative and community services in these areas and where necessary to support the SPS.

He added: “The RCMP will also continue to be part of the Lower Mainland integrated teams and our provincial and federal police services have not changed.”

BEGG, who also addressed the press conference, said in a press statement: “November 29, 2024, marks a historic day for the City of Surrey as the Surrey Police Service (SPS) becomes the police of jurisdiction. This is a landmark achievement and significant milestone in Canadian policing, as it represents a key marker in the largest police transition of its kind in the country.

“As a former RCMP officer who served for 40 years, I am proud of the history of the RCMP in Surrey. No matter the uniform, I know that every officer puts their lives on the line day in and day out to keep people and businesses safe. Police officers serve with honour and dedication, and I thank both SPS and RCMP officers for their unwavering commitment to the people of Surrey.

“As we start a new era of policing in Surrey, I look forward to the SPS’s community-led, innovative approach to policing that brings together skilled officers with diverse backgrounds from across the country that meets the needs of our community.

“There is much work ahead as this transition moves into its final stages, and although the journey has not been without its challenges I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the City of Surrey, the federal government, RCMP, and Chief Lipinski and SPS administrator Mike Serr. Their dedication and collaborative efforts have brought us to this significant milestone, while staying focused on our number 1 job – keeping people and businesses in Surrey safe.”

THE SPS in a press statement said: “The primary ways that residents and business owners access policing services in Surrey will not change as result of this change to the police of jurisdiction. Police office locations and the main police phone numbers are staying the same, including 9-1-1 and non-emergency (604-599-0502).”

It added: “Initially, there will be a higher concentration of frontline SPS officers in Whalley/City Centre and Newton, with more RCMP officers in Guildford/Fleetwood, Cloverdale, and South Surrey. However, officers from both agencies will perform various policing duties across the city: SPS officers will manage several city-wide services including traffic enforcement, emergency planning, and community programs, and RCMP officers will maintain conduct of most specialized policing services in Newton as well as the Criminal Crash Investigation Team, city-wide.

“While officers from both police agencies will primarily provide policing services in “home” districts, the agencies will coordinate responses where and when required to address any emerging public safety needs.

“Similarly, there will be no interruption to ongoing investigations during the transition. While not all files will be transferred to SPS at this time, both SPS and the RCMP are taking steps to ensure that every file transfer is done with the utmost consideration for security, confidentiality, and the victims of crimes. In addition, SPS is now joining several other municipal police agencies as a partner in the Lower Mainland Integrated Teams, which means that any Surrey-related files with those teams, such as homicides, will remain with those teams.”

For Surrey residents and business owners, the main online source of public safety information in Surrey is now www.surreypolice.ca. SPS will also provide regular policing updates on X, Facebook, and Instagram.