From the frontline to digital forensics: Career opportunities expand as SPS prepares for change of command
SURREY Police Service (SPS) said on Thursday that it continues preparations to assume command of policing on November 29 in collaboration with the policing transition partners. An important part of this preparation is expanding SPS’s hiring to more diverse policing positions to ensure Surrey’s new police service has the varied skill sets and experience levels required to serve a large, dynamic city.
Like all major police agencies, SPS will have many specialized units in addition to the critical operations on the frontline. Specialized policing units such as Gang Enforcement, Organized Crime, Economic and Cyber Crime, Prolific Offenders, Missing Persons, and Traffic Collision Investigation are integral to supporting Surrey’s public safety needs.
SPS has now posted over 20 different positions for experienced police officers and a number of civilian support staff positions, in addition to the regular hiring of recruit constables. These positions require various levels of experience and expertise, and span SPS’s three policing bureaus: Community Policing, Support Services, and Investigative Services.
As SPS continues to grow, it is imperative to ensure SPS is staffed with officers who have a range of experience – from new recruits to mid-career officers, to those with senior service levels. To support recruitment of the critical frontline policing operations, SPS is joining other police agencies in offering a Frontline Signing Bonus / Surrey Police $10,000 for 10 experienced constables joining the frontline.
In addition, SPS is launching an Alternate Retirement Option (ARO) / Surrey Police. In order to attract those who are nearing the end of their career with another agency, this option essentially allows officers who have satisfied the requirements of the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP) to continue their policing career with SPS with no additional cost to SPS. This will allow invaluable expertise to be utilized and retained in Surrey as SPS continues to build.
“As we carry out our critical path to the November 29, 2024, change of command date, it is imperative that we add police officers with experience and knowledge in all policing areas so we can provide Surrey residents with a skilled and comprehensive policing service,” says Chief Constable Norm Lipinski. “By working to attract officers of varying years of service and expertise, we are supporting succession planning and knowledge transfer within our organization and the community for decades to come.”
SPS has two remaining onboarding opportunities for experienced officers in September and October, before the organization becomes the police of jurisdiction in November. All new experienced officer hires complete a comprehensive SPS training program before deployment. SPS also continues to hire recruits for three classes each year (January, May, September).
SPS’s current postings for specialty positions, uniformed policing, and civilian positions can be found at https://careers.surreypolice.ca/. Experienced officers can learn more about the Frontline Signing Bonus and the Alternate Retirement Option at: www.surreypolice.ca/experienced-officers.
SPS’s hiring is aligned with the City of Surrey’s annual policing budget, which provides funding for a total of 785 police officers in 2024. Any future increase to the number of police officers in Surrey would be requested by the Chief Constable through the Surrey Police Board and would require approval of Surrey City Council.
