“If the City of Surrey chooses to retain the RCMP as its service provider, the City will be fully responsible for the fiscal, operational, and all other consequences of that decision, without monetary support from the Province.”

MIKE Farnworth, Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General, in a letter to Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and Surrey City Councillors on Thursday made it crystal-clear that “at this time, it is the view of the Province that Council should move forward with a vote that fully acknowledges the implications – financial and otherwise – of the decision to retain the RCMP or to move forward with the transition to the Surrey Police Service.”

Farnworth has demanded that the City advise him of “the date by which all members of Council will sign the confidentiality agreement to the Province” to receive a confidential report of the “Director of Police Services’ Report on the City of Surrey’s Police Model Transition and Decision to Retain the RCMP (April 2023).”

He has demanded “a commitment from the City that the mandatory conditions, requirements, and financial implications for the applicable police model will be met.”

Farnworth has also demanded “a commitment from the City that the mandatory conditions, requirements, and financial implications for the applicable police model pathway including, full costing, and other relevant implications for each police model pathway will be included in the report prepared for Council’s consideration and will be set out in the text of any motion and, the date by which Council intends to decide of this important matter.”

In other words, Farnworth is fed up with the tactics that Locke and her Surrey Connect councillors have resorted to in their desperation to keep the RCMP in Surrey without any regard for the security of Surrey residents.

Farnworth made it absolutely clear to Locke that her stalling tactics have no merit, pointing out: “The Mayor claims in her letter to the Premier that it is highly unusual for a local government to sign a confidentiality agreement. In fact, confidentiality agreements are a commonly used tool by the provincial government to support the sharing of confidential and sensitive information with a variety of parties, including local government – especially when other entities own that information.”

Farnworth noted: “A portion of the information in the Director’s Report relates to the RCMP, the Surrey Police Service and the federal government. It contains confidential information that outlines police operations, information regarding intergovernmental relations, and information on the federal, provincial, and municipal business lines within the RCMP. The safeguarding of this sensitive information is parmount to public safety. I would also like to clarify that at no point did Ministry officials negotiate with City staff on what information would remain redacted or would be released in the confidential copy.”

Farnworth said that he had been told by Ministry officials that just over half of the city Council has signed and provided the confidentiality agreement to the province.

Farnworth then stated: “I am gravely concerned that Council may proceed without considering all relevant information available.”

He stressed: “By way of this letter, I am also formally confirming that the provincial government is prepared to provide up to $150 million to the City to assist in completing the transition to the Surrey Police Service. … The Province has concluded that public safety is best supported with the transition to the Surrey Police Service as the municipal police service and. accordingly, this funding is only available to the City if it continues with this transition.”

He warned: “If the City of Surrey chooses to retain the RCMP as its service provider, the City will be fully responsible for the fiscal, operational, and all other consequences of that decision, without monetary support from the Province.”

Farnworth added: “Furthermore, I am concerned that the Council has not set a date by when a decision can be expected on this matter. As I announced on April 29, 2023, I rejected the City’s plan to retain the RCMP and strongly recommended that the City continue its police model transition to the Surrey Police Service to ensure that adequate and effective policing is maintained in both Surrey and throughout the province.”