SURREY Councillor Linda Annis’s hysteria against the formation of a Surrey Police Department knows no bounds. And it’s getting worse as she and the pro-RCMP camp realize that they are making no headway against the democratic process: they have tried everything from lowdown personal attacks against Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum to scare tactics and distortions. But the formation of the new police force is progressing steadily.

On Thursday, Annis fired off yet another one of her hysterical press releases – this time, attacking the City for removing “Keep the RCMP in Surrey” signs and alleging: “The free speech of a growing grassroots movement in support of keeping the RCMP in Surrey is being stifled and I want the mayor to tell us why he’s paying city staff to confiscate the signs.”

What an irresponsible and ignorant councillor! Doesn’t she know how the City works?

Rob Costanzo, General Manager, Corporate Services, of the City of Surrey, told The VOICE that “the signs were removed from public property and public right of ways because it violates the following city ordinance, Highway Traffic Bylaw 13007 (Section 82).”

But, of course, Annis, apparently spurred on by the RCMP bosses, couldn’t help but distort facts and spread more hatred against the new police force and its supporters.

Yes, the City did its job correctly when it removed those signs by pro-RCMP forces – who are backed by the RCMP. Shouldn’t those pro-RCMP forces have known the rules? Or do they think they are above the law?

Annis should read our article “RCMP just do NOT understand what a democracy is!” posted here on June 8.

If she missed it, here it is again:

NOW we have another former senior RCMP officer – Peter German – trying to scare (actually, “intimidate” would be a more apt word to use) people to ditch a Surrey Police Department in an article in a mainstream newspaper.

The RCMP have developed such a vested interest in maintaining their police empire in Surrey that they are using every desperate tactic to sabotage the DEMOCRATIC process. It is an utter disgrace.

Let us just present the facts that we published once again on May 30 to expose their undemocratic behaviour and hypocrisy. Here is a part of that article:

THE anti-Surrey Police Department forces are still desperately making undemocratic demands and resorting to dirty tactics, including trying to take full advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis to scare Surrey-ites into keeping the RCMP in Surrey.

What is seen as indirect political interference by the RCMP is causing great resentment and Canadians are wondering why the RCMP bosses in B.C. and Ottawa are keeping mum. Is it because, as many Canadians suspect, they are encouraging if not actually directing this movement? For example, just recently a former senior RCMP officer indulged in a vicious personal attack against [Surrey Mayor Doug] McCallum. Quite obviously he must have got clearance from the RCMP bosses to reveal confidential matters.

Of course, if the RCMP bosses are hiding their heads in the sand once again, it will not come as any surprise to Canadians who are still reeling from the horrific sexual harassment that RCMP female officers and municipal staff experienced for decades until it suddenly blew up in their face. In fact, the millions and millions of dollars that we taxpayers have to pay now to the victims of these accused male RCMP officers would have more than covered all the expenses for the transition to a Surrey Police Force plus the hiring of many more officers.

Here are the facts:

1. Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum and seven of his Safe Surrey Coalition members won the election fair and square on the pledge that they would form a Surrey police force to replace the RCMP. In fact, all the eight new Councillors, including the lone one from Surrey First, voted to ditch the RCMP at the very first Council meeting.

2. The Police Act says that any city with a population of more than 5,000 can decide what type of police force they want. So, when the City of Surrey approached the Provincial Government with its proposal, the latter had no option but to give the go-ahead. In spite of three Councillors ditching McCallum’s group, the mayor still controls the majority vote in Surrey Council.

3. Among the tactics that the pro-RCMP forces started resorting to was the call for a referendum on the change in policing. However, legally, only the City can authorize such a referendum – the Province or the federal government cannot. Yet despite this fact, the RCMP bosses have been apparently inciting their supporters to carry on with that demand.