Surrey city council has directed city staff, as Mayor Brenda Locke put it, to make 91裸聊视频渁 18091裸聊视频� degree turn on the policing transition to the Surrey Police Service from the Surrey RCMP.
Councillors Mandeep Nagra, Doug Elford and Linda Annis voted against endorsing a framework for maintaining the RCMP as Surrey91裸聊视频檚 police of jurisdiction and have staff present a final plan to this end, to be voted on by council at its Dec. 12 council meeting. It was passed on a 6-3 vote, with Mayor Brenda Locke, Rob Stutt, Pardeep Kooner, Gordon Hepner, Harry Bains and Mike Bose voting in favour.
Nagra raised Surrey Connect91裸聊视频檚 election claim that retaining the Surrey RCMP instead of incoming Surrey Police Service would save residents $520 million over the next four years. 91裸聊视频淲hen do we get to see that number that it91裸聊视频檚 going to cost $520 million?91裸聊视频� he asked.
Surrey91裸聊视频檚 manager of finance Kam Grewal replied that staff are working 91裸聊视频渧ery, very hard91裸聊视频� on a financial analysis that will be 91裸聊视频渇orthcoming91裸聊视频� on Dec. 12. 91裸聊视频淚n relation to the direction question by councillor Nagra, I cannot speak to that, I haven91裸聊视频檛 seen those numbers but I can tell you it91裸聊视频檚 a priority of staff to include the financial analysis and implications all on Dec. 12.91裸聊视频�
Surrey91裸聊视频檚 top Mountie Brian Edwards presented before city council Monday night a 91裸聊视频渇ramework for maintaining the RCMP as Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey.91裸聊视频�
Edwards told council he has 573 operational members under his command, with others recovering from injuries. 91裸聊视频淚 need 161 officers to right-size. I can do that by the end of 2023. The RCMP has been on-budget year after year after year.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淢y path forward is remarkably simple,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 need a staffing plan for 161 people.91裸聊视频�
He said the 91裸聊视频渦ncertainty of policing is no longer tenable.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚f I91裸聊视频檓 given the green light, I91裸聊视频檒l immediately implement steps to staff up to 161.91裸聊视频�
Claims the Surrey RCMP is not locally accountable are 91裸聊视频渦nfounded91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渓aughable,91裸聊视频� he told council. He welcomed Surrey Police Service officers to join the Surrey RCMP.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e locally accountable, there91裸聊视频檚 no other way to say it.91裸聊视频�
Seeking to 91裸聊视频渄ispel a myth,91裸聊视频� he said, current SPS officers who join the RCMP can spend their entire career working in Surrey, with the RCMP.
91裸聊视频淚 welcome them to the RCMP,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 not a better entry point to the RCMP for a municipal officer than Surrey.91裸聊视频�
Edwards received lengthy applause from the audience in council chambers. Locke asked for order.
Elford asked him what he plans to do about SPS officers vowing en-masse to not join the RCMP, to which Edwards replied 91裸聊视频淎re you referring to the pledge that was made that 94 per cent of SPS won91裸聊视频檛 join the RCMP? I91裸聊视频檓 not going to respond to union business, but I left Calgary Police and I will say this, that employment law supports me: The decision of an employer is one that is made by an individual, not a group. And I91裸聊视频檒l leave my answer at that.91裸聊视频�
Edwards told council he wanted to clarify a few things. 91裸聊视频淚 have respected process and authority through this entire transition whether that decision was to replace the RCMP or to maintain the RCMP. I have always been extremely measured in my comments,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭his has been difficult at times. Often, I was bursting to set the record straight or to advocate to maintain the RCMP. But my job is to lead policing for this city 91裸聊视频� it is the job of others to decide who polices the city. Unfortunately, others have not been as constrained in public commentary. Spokespersons have criticized ongoing RCMP programs, said that other programs will be better. Programs that don91裸聊视频檛 exist.91裸聊视频�
Edwards said 91裸聊视频渕ultiple inaccurate comments91裸聊视频� have been made. 91裸聊视频淭he list goes on and on. The intent seems clear 91裸聊视频� to create concern and fear.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭hese comments seek to establish that the RCMP cannot effectively police Surrey. I91裸聊视频檒l show you tonight we have, we do, and we will.91裸聊视频� He said he will 91裸聊视频渘ever criticize91裸聊视频� municipal policing or municipal police officers in this country. 91裸聊视频淣ever. I was one. They provide vital public safety to our communities. But I will not allow others to criticize the RCMP model or RCMP officers.91裸聊视频�
Edwards said his team spends a 91裸聊视频渃onsiderable91裸聊视频� amount of time mitigating disruption to policing, 91裸聊视频渁nd we have for four years, especially in the last two.91裸聊视频� There are 91裸聊视频渟tructural deficiencies91裸聊视频� in the path moving forward with the current transition to the SPS, he said.
91裸聊视频淢ake no bones about it.91裸聊视频�
Coun. Doug Elford said he91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渄isappointed91裸聊视频� a representative of the SPS was not in attendance to provide 91裸聊视频渂alance.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚 think this is a waste of time and money,91裸聊视频� Elford said, adding that Surrey transitioning to its own city police force is the 91裸聊视频渙pportunity of a lifetime.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淎ll of North America is watching,91裸聊视频� he said.
On Tuesday, the Surrey Police Union issued a press release accusing Edwards of withholding 91裸聊视频渁larming public safety risks to residents.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淎fter watching OIC Brian Edwards91裸聊视频� comments last night, I am very concerned by the deliberate omission of the actual policing scenarios taking place on the ground as a result of RCMP staffing shortages,91裸聊视频� union president Rick Stewart stated in the press release. 91裸聊视频淲hen there is a regular occurrence of only 1-3 officers patrolling the entirety of South Surrey and Cloverdale at night, it is clear that the daily threats to public safety in Surrey are not being taken seriously by RCMP leadership.91裸聊视频�
The Now-Leader has reached out to Edwards for a response.
Council debated a corporate report asking the politicians to endorse a proposed framework containing Surrey91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频減riorities, goals and objectives for policing in 202391裸聊视频� and direct staff to present a 91裸聊视频渇inal plan91裸聊视频� for maintaining the Surrey RCMP as the city91裸聊视频檚 police force for council91裸聊视频檚 endorsement at its Dec. 12 council meeting.
91裸聊视频淭his report provides a framework for the City to maintain the RCMP as the Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey,91裸聊视频� the corporate report states. 91裸聊视频淭his framework will guide the development of the final plan to maintain the RCMP as the Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey which will be presented to Council for endorsement on December 12, 2022, should Council endorse the recommendations of this report.
Monday91裸聊视频檚 corporate report 91裸聊视频� by Surrey91裸聊视频檚 manager of community services Terry Waterhouse, Kam Grewal, and manager of corporate services Rob Costanzo 91裸聊视频� states that a 91裸聊视频減roject team91裸聊视频� will oversee development of the final plan which, if approved by council on Dec. 12, will be submitted to Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth for consideration by Dec. 15.
At council91裸聊视频檚 last meeting on Nov. 14 Mayor Brenda Locke91裸聊视频檚 Surrey Connect majority on a 5-4 vote directed city staff to prepare a plan toward that end.
The project team is comprised of Edwards, Waterhouse, consultants Tonia Enger and Dr. Peter German 91裸聊视频� who has held high positions including the RCMP91裸聊视频檚 national director general of financial crime and president of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform 91裸聊视频� with senior members of the RCMP and city staff providing 91裸聊视频渟trategic and administrative support.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭he Plan, if endorsed, will provide a comprehensive update on the status of the transition to date and highlights the significant amount of work still required,91裸聊视频� the report coming before council on Monday states. It also notes the contractual requirement for the RCMP to continue to be the city91裸聊视频檚 police of jurisdiction is 91裸聊视频渁lready in place.91裸聊视频�
Since council defeated her Nov. 14 motion for a referendum, Coun. Linda Annis said, the city must produce a report that91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渁s fair, transparent, unbiased and factual as possible.
91裸聊视频淲hile I have every confidence in Mr. German and Ms. Enger, a third member of the team, someone not associated with the RCMP, should also help put the report together in order to give Surrey residents and the province the confidence that Surrey has been both fair and accurate in what we find and what91裸聊视频檚 being proposed going forward,91裸聊视频� Annis said. 91裸聊视频淲e never got that sort of transparency with Doug McCallum, but now we can do things better and differently.91裸聊视频�
Annis asked council to include an 91裸聊视频渋ndependent accountant91裸聊视频� on the team 91裸聊视频渢o provide financial oversight.91裸聊视频� Bose said it would 91裸聊视频渓end credence91裸聊视频� to the process to have an accountant not affiliated with either the RCMP or SPS.
Coun. Rob Stutt asked Annis if she thinks the process is biased. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 not what I91裸聊视频檓 saying,91裸聊视频� she replied. The Surrey Connect majority defeated Annis91裸聊视频檚 motion.
The corporate report notes that the number of Mounties assigned to the Surrey RCMP 91裸聊视频渉as not been reduced and remains91裸聊视频� at 843, with 58 of those assigned to Lower Mainland District Integrated Teams and 91裸聊视频渘ot located91裸聊视频� within the Surrey RCMP detachment.
91裸聊视频淎s such, the Surrey Detachment strength is considered 785 Members, although 51 of these positions are not currently funded,91裸聊视频� the corporate report states. It adds that 91裸聊视频渁s of this date,91裸聊视频� 168 Surrey Police Service officers are 91裸聊视频減roviding policing services to Surrey residents91裸聊视频� under the RCMP91裸聊视频檚 command.
While 91裸聊视频渟ome preliminary discussions91裸聊视频� on legal agreements have been held, 91裸聊视频渟ubstantive details have not been worked out, nor have agreements been drafted,91裸聊视频� the corporate report notes. 91裸聊视频淪uch agreements may require approval of all parties, and likely Cabinet endorsement at both the Federal and Provincial levels. Based on the experience of prior negotiations, it is reasonable to assume the negotiations of these legal agreements will take 6 - 9 months.91裸聊视频�
Meantime, the budget and 91裸聊视频減ractical implications of a holding pattern on deployment and demobilization while these legal agreements are prepared and signed off are significant and will require the City to continue to fund through most of 2023 a complement of non-deployed SPS police officers far in excess of the City91裸聊视频檚 ability to pay,91裸聊视频� it continues.
The priorities, goals and objectives for policing in Surrey in 2023 include development of a staffing plan to provide employment, 91裸聊视频渨here possible,91裸聊视频� to civilian and sworn SPS officers who are integrated into the Surrey RCMP 91裸聊视频渢o allow for continued and enhanced career development opportunities,91裸聊视频� as well as develop and implement an Infrastructure Plan which will see the current information systems and equipment assets purchased on behalf of the SPS, repurposed by other entities within the City of Surrey.91裸聊视频�
The objective for 2023 is to maintain a minimum service level of 734 RCMP officers 91裸聊视频渁s soon as possible to ensure adequate and effective policing in 2023 and beyond91裸聊视频� and to 91裸聊视频渄evelop and implement a plan for SPS to provide Assigned Officers to support91裸聊视频� operation of the Municipal Police Unit91裸聊视频� as the RCMP 91裸聊视频渟taffs up to full funded strength consistent with an agreed staffing plan.91裸聊视频�
And then there are the financial considerations. The city91裸聊视频檚 policing operations budget for 2023 will include funding for the RCMP contract, city police support services and SPS. The financial plan it adopted for 2022 91裸聊视频� 2026 allocates a combined budget of $202.4 million for fiscal year 2023, for policing operations, with proposed budgets to be presented to council 91裸聊视频渓ikely in early in 2023.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭o finalize the budget requirements for 2023,91裸聊视频� the corporate report notes, Surrey requires approval from Farnworth of its intention to stick with the RCMP.
91裸聊视频淭his will allow staff to determine a proposed start date for the implementation of the plan. Collaborative work with the RCMP and the SPS will then take place to determine the cadence of RCMP ramp up and SPS ramp down and confirm corresponding budget allocations required.91裸聊视频�
Surrey 91裸聊视频渆nvisions91裸聊视频� a decision from Farnworth in January 2023 91裸聊视频渁nd a ramp up of RCMP and ramp down of SPS beginning in March 2023.91裸聊视频�
Meanwhile, the Surrey Police Board91裸聊视频檚 next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 30. The agenda for that meeting on that day.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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