THE controversy sparked by the Global News story on an exchange of text messages and emails between Surrey Councillor Linda Annis — who is aspiring to be the next mayor of Surrey — and Surrey Police Service’s Chief Constable Norm Lipinski — who was reappointed last October on a three-year contract with an option for renewal for up to two additional years by the Surrey Police Board — about impaired driving checks outside a Surrey golf course could end up being investigated by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC).

Annis has told the media that she did not send any directions to Lipinski about the checks, but was only passing on concerns about the residents to the proper authorities. She also asserted that she was against drinking and driving.

Public Safety Minister Ninan Krieger, who is also the Solicitor General, has asked the director of policing and law enforcement services to monitor the situation and take any steps that may be necessary or appropriate.

Surrey City Manager Rob Costanzo in a statement to the Vancouver Sun called Lipinski’s actions “very serious misconduct.” He said that the City had expressed its concerns to the Province and is waiting for a response.

When contacted by The VOICE, the SPS sent a statement that they said they had sent to Global News on Monday. “As there are now requests for the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) to look into this, we are not in a position to comment further,” it added.

The SPS statement:

AFTER Surrey Police Service (SPS) conducted impaired driving enforcement outside of Morgan Creek Golf Course in July 2025, questions arose regarding how and why SPS chose this particular location.

Conversations were had with both Morgan Creek Golf Course and Councillor Annis to explain the data-driven factors that SPS uses to determine enforcement locations including but not limited to a) community complaints and tips, b) observed behaviour by officers, and c) proximity to alcohol-serving venues where police believe impaired driving may reasonably originate. In the summer of 2025, SPS’s Impaired Driving Unit (IDU) conducted impaired driving enforcement at numerous locations around the City of Surrey, taking into account the aforementioned factors.

Chief Lipinski’s response to Councillor Annis that SPS “…stopped setting up there” is in reference to the area immediately outside Morgan Creek Golf Course. After internal analysis and discussion, it was determined that alternate locations nearby on 32 Avenue would be more appropriate, as well as implementing an additional prevention approach in partnership with Morgan Creek.

The Chief’s further comment of “this requires an elevated response” references his direction to senior SPS managers that the IDU should develop a more comprehensive response to impaired driving that goes beyond enforcement. While impaired driving enforcement is critically important to saving lives, there is also an important role for prevention and education. This includes working with businesses that sell alcohol to ensure their staff are educated on how they can help prevent impaired driving (recognizing signs of impairment, consequences of over service, promoting safe rides home, etc.), before enforcement is considered. The IDU’s new prevention and education program will be rolled out in 2026 and will see police working in partnership with businesses to stop impaired driving in Surrey. In preliminary discussions, Morgan Creek Golf Course and other businesses have been very receptive to working with SPS in this manner.

SPS’s priority is, and will always be, public safety. Impaired driving is a leading cause of death on British Columbia’s roads. Everyone who lives and works in Surrey, including Surrey Police Service, play an integral role in keeping our roads safe. SPS is committed to working with our community partners to find innovative and sustainable impaired driving-related solutions to ensure alignment with our broader road safety strategies.