SURREY RCMP Officer-in-Charge, Chief Superintendent Bill Fordy, said Tuesday that he’s very pleased that the City of Surrey’s Council approved the funding for the increase of an additional 100 police officers and 25 municipal support staff to the establishment of the Surrey RCMP.

He added: “This increase is keeping with the proposal that I recommended to the Police Committee in October and will increase our establishment from 703 police officers to 803.”

Fordy said: “I plan to significantly enhance our first responders’ police presence (i.e., General Duty), and review our needs in Traffic Services, our Youth Unit, and Investigative Services. This increase will allow our police officers to spend more time engaged in proactive policing initiatives across the city. The increase in municipal employees will allow for additional support to the police officers that will be joining the detachment.

“While we are all eager for these new resources to arrive, the process to increase staffing does take some time. The City of Surrey will now write a letter to the province’s attorney general and minister of justice requesting this increase, followed by the province making the same request to the federal minister of public safety and emergency preparedness. The Government of Canada will then send written approval back to the province and the City. Once this approval is received, RCMP staffing will work to fulfill the request.

“While we wait for the staffing process to take its course, Surrey RCMP will continue their efforts to reduce and prevent crime in Surrey.  Residents of Surrey can be assured that we are constantly evaluating policing priorities and reallocating resources to respond to the changing needs of the City.”