SAFE Surrey Coalition on Friday voiced its strong opposition to Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke’s decision to initiate a court petition challenging the provincial order to continue the transition to the Surrey Police Service (SPS).
Councillor Mandeep Nagra asserted: “This is yet another example of an egotistical mayor who can’t accept defeat. She lost big-time when it came to keeping her election promise to retain the RCMP. It’s time to move on and do what’s right for Surrey residents.”
Councillor Doug Elford emphasized: “The Public Safety Minister, Mike Farnworth, has already made it clear that the move to the RCMP would have created a crisis in policing; it’s time for Mayor Locke to put public safety first and abandon her costly stall tactics.”
The Safe Surrey Coalition pointed out that Locke’s actions have come at a staggering cost to Surrey taxpayers, totaling $96 million and counting, amounting to an exorbitant $263,000 per day. She has even refused $150 million in funding from the Province, intended to support the police transition, and is now pushing for a $100 million severance package for SPS officers. Her decision to add another $96 million to a year-long court battle only emphasizes her disregard for the fiscal responsibility and public safety of our community.
Furthermore, Locke’s ‘my way or the highway’ approach has proven to be costly and detrimental to our residents. She is willing to risk an astounding $442 million by delaying the transition, all while endangering the public safety of Surrey residents with an underperforming RCMP force, the Safe Surrey Coalition added.
It noted that numerous reports from both the provincial and federal government have underscored the RCMP’s staffing shortages, failure to meet contractual obligations, and inadequate training. Locke’s actions clearly demonstrate her willingness to jeopardize public safety and waste $442 million in the pursuit of her election promise. It’s high time for this mayor to either step up and continue with SPS transition or step down to prevent further incompetence and risk to Surrey taxpayers.
