BASED on her comments at Surrey City Council’s Monday meeting, it appears that Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke will no longer oppose the policing transition in her city. Her aim now is to keep policing costs under control.
Locke said: “While I’m disappointed by the outcome of the judicial review, I accept the decision and we are moving forward with what the city needs to do to ensure that our residents are prioritized with the provincially legislated police transition.”
She added: “However, it is important to note that the findings from the judicial review has revealed some validating and concerning information that requires further and comprehensive review.”
Locke said that she was asking the City Manager to assemble a team of experts to work with the Province, the federal government, Surrey Police Service, the Surrey Police Board and the RCMP on certain requirements.
She added: “This work will focus on understanding the progress to date and to ensure that the requirements and best interests of the City are at the table to ensure the policing model and the cost implications address Surrey’s needs.”
She also said that the City needs to reassess its initial costing now given the Province’s Deloitte Report. So the City will immediately be undertaking a review of the Deloitte Report and asks the Province to cooperate with it “to finally determine the actual cost of the imposition of this transition.”
Locke said that it is critical that the process be transparent and accountable to the public and to the City, adding that “during the entire six-year process the previous mayor, the Surrey Police Board and the Province withheld information by way of private meetings, non-disclosure agreements and without-prejudice negotiations.”
She said: “These backroom arrangements must and will stop today.”
Locke said there will be a police transition update prior to every regular scheduled public hearing commencing in September. This will include a public corporate report and time for Council to ask questions about the process.
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