THE Surrey Police Union on Tuesday demanded that Surrey Councillor Rob Stutt “voluntarily recuse himself from any upcoming votes about policing in Surrey.”
SPU President Rick Stewart pointed out: “Stutt ran on a promise of ethics and integrity at city hall during the municipal election,” and added: “Now is the time to show that leadership.”
The SPU said that it had submitted a formal request to the City of Surrey Ethics Commissioner to disqualify Stutt from voting in the upcoming decision on policing in Surrey. Stutt is also the Chairman of the Public Safety Committee and a former RCMP member.
The union said in a statement: “Stutt is under investigation because he failed to demonstrate transparency and an obvious conflict, as the RCMP employs his son and daughter in Surrey. The ethics commissioner’s office is finalizing a decision, but it may be too late once the verdict is complete. The original request to the ethics commissioner was submitted in February, and another vote on policing may come as early as next week.”
The union noted: “Look no further than a similar case in Hamilton, Ontario. A city councillor was docked pay due to a conflict of interest as her son is a staff sergeant with the Hamilton Police Service. The councillor wrongfully voted for the police budget despite knowing her vote should have been disqualified. Closer to home, a Vancouver city councillor opts out of voting on policing matters because her husband is a member of the Vancouver Police Department.”
It asserted: “Surrey residents deserve a fair and transparent decision now.”
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