The provincial government is updating the Police Act in an effort to prevent the same mess from occurring that continues to define Surrey91裸聊视频檚 policing transition to the Surrey Police Service from the Surrey RCMP.

91裸聊视频淧eople deserve to know who is protecting their homes, families and businesses when there is a change in policing in their community,91裸聊视频� Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said Monday in Victoria. 91裸聊视频淭hese amendments mean that the confusion caused by the City of Surrey won91裸聊视频檛 be repeated elsewhere in B.C. When passed, these amendments will ensure policing transitions proceed in a way that provides certainty for people and maintains public safety.91裸聊视频�

Farnworth said the legislation provides 91裸聊视频渃larity and finality91裸聊视频� to Surrey residents concerning the transition. 91裸聊视频淎mendments to the Act will specify that the City of Surrey must provide policing services through a municipal police department. It also provides the authority for the solicitor general to cancel the existing agreement between the Province and the City of Surrey for the provision of RCMP services.91裸聊视频�

Premier David Eby said Tuesday that whether or not Surrey is moving forward to a municipal police force 91裸聊视频渋s no longer up for discussion, they are moving forward to a municipal force in Surrey and for everybody91裸聊视频檚 benefit we need to just get on with that work.91裸聊视频�

Farnworth said the legislation also provides, 91裸聊视频渋f necessary,91裸聊视频� the provincial government with the ability to appoint an administrator to 91裸聊视频渁ssume the functions91裸聊视频� of the Surrey Police Board to oversee the SPS.

To follow the bill91裸聊视频檚 progress through the legislator, you can check out

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is not conceding defeat. 91裸聊视频淲e are still all in the process of reviewing it and we will continue to do that,91裸聊视频� she said of the legislation released Monday afternoon.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 going to be really clear 91裸聊视频� the City of Surrey has made a position, we91裸聊视频檙e not changing that position.

91裸聊视频淔irst and foremost, we91裸聊视频檙e here to protect the taxpayers of this province,91裸聊视频� Locke told reporters. 91裸聊视频淲e know that the cost of this transition is extraordinary.91裸聊视频�

Eby said Tuesday it91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渇rustrating91裸聊视频� his government and Surrey aren91裸聊视频檛 on the same page. 91裸聊视频淚 think there is a moment here to regroup with the city, to reset. It is very clear that the city will not be successful in any legal challenge, it91裸聊视频檚 a waste of taxpayer dollars, the Province is going in this direction, so let91裸聊视频檚 sit down, let91裸聊视频檚 move forward.91裸聊视频�

During her Monday presser Locke referenced an easel beside her podium displaying a 91裸聊视频渧ery conservative91裸聊视频� $464 million more attached to the SPS over keeping the RCMP over the next 10 years 91裸聊视频� not including capital costs and two-officer patrol cars. 91裸聊视频淭his is going to be a tremendous increase to taxes in Surrey,91裸聊视频� she warned. 91裸聊视频淭hat is a minimum, an absolute minimum. That is money that should be left in the pockets of Surrey taxpayers at a time when affordability remains our number-one issue.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭his is going to be a tremendous increase to taxes in Surrey,91裸聊视频� she warned. 91裸聊视频淭hat is a minimum, an absolute minimum. That is money that should be left in the pockets of Surrey taxpayers at a time when affordability remains our number-one issue.

91裸聊视频淲e will do everything always to protect our taxpayer,91裸聊视频� Locke said. 91裸聊视频淚 will do everything always to protect our taxpayer.91裸聊视频�

The provincial government said it will provide Surrey with $150 million toward the cost of the transition but Locke says that91裸聊视频檚 not nearly enough. Asked if his government will provide more money to Surrey, Eby said the 91裸聊视频渂ig challenge91裸聊视频� is the longer the dispute is dragged out, the more expensive it gets. He said it behooves Surrey to 91裸聊视频渟it down with the Province, not to be going to court to spend more money on lawyers on a decision that91裸聊视频檚 already been made and will not be overturned by a court.

91裸聊视频淭he mayor fought a good fight, she raised a lot of important issues,91裸聊视频� Eby said, but 91裸聊视频渘ow it91裸聊视频檚 time for us to sit down and sort it out.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭he Province has committed to Surrey that we will support them, we understand their additional costs here, we will be working with that and I91裸聊视频檓 happy to have those discussions with Surrey,91裸聊视频� Eby said.

On Oct. 13, the City of Surrey revealed it has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of British Columbia seeking a judicial review of Farnworth91裸聊视频檚 July 19 order to proceed with the SPS. The government has 21 days to file a response.

Asked what she thinks Monday91裸聊视频檚 development will have on Surrey91裸聊视频檚 case, Locke replied she 91裸聊视频渃an91裸聊视频檛 speculate on anything with the courts. And again, we haven91裸聊视频檛 even really looked at the legislation so I can91裸聊视频檛 make any speculation in that regard.91裸聊视频�

Asked if this means checkmate for Surrey, Coun. Linda Annis replied, 91裸聊视频淚 hope this means that we91裸聊视频檙e done and we91裸聊视频檙e moving forward with the transition. I do think the minister91裸聊视频檚 saying enough is enough, we need to get on with it.91裸聊视频�

Locke did say of the legislation that Farnworth could have made his case last December, but did not.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 incredibly disappointing that this minister has taken so long to make a decision,91裸聊视频� she said, adding 91裸聊视频渉e could have said a lot of what he91裸聊视频檚 saying today, he could have said it way back in December. He chose not to, so we91裸聊视频檙e in this position now.91裸聊视频�

Again on the $464 million cost, Locke said, 91裸聊视频楾his is going to be generational, this is going to be forever. This is going to be for my kids, my grandkids, and we need to make sure that we have protected the taxpayer in our city.91裸聊视频�

During a press scrum after the Legislative Assembly91裸聊视频檚 Monday sitting, when Farnworth was asked what will happen with Surrey91裸聊视频檚 court petition in light of the legislation, he replied that 91裸聊视频渢he Province always has the ability to govern, and that91裸聊视频檚 what we91裸聊视频檙e doing. The court process, that91裸聊视频檚 up to the City of Surrey.91裸聊视频�

Asked when his ministry will file a formal response to Surrey91裸聊视频檚 court petition, Farnworth replied 91裸聊视频渢hat work is done by the legal services branch and they make those decisions.91裸聊视频�

At Monday night91裸聊视频檚 regular council meeting, Locke doubled down on Surrey council91裸聊视频檚 majority position to stick with the RCMP.

She said she91裸聊视频檚 instructed city staff to undertake a review of the policing transition, from day one to now. 91裸聊视频淚 want us in Surrey to have a clear understanding of what has transpired over the last five years.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淢y position, this council91裸聊视频檚 position, has not changed,91裸聊视频� Locke said. 91裸聊视频淚 continue to oppose the transition because of the extraordinary cost for Surrey taxpayers that will deliver no public safety benefit.91裸聊视频�

Locke added it91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渟imply not feasible91裸聊视频� for Farnworth to say that a police service representing just 25 per cent of frontline officers today is best positioned to be Surrey91裸聊视频檚 police of jurisdiction.

91裸聊视频淭he SPS is top-heavy and it91裸聊视频檚 failed to recruit anywhere near the number of frontline officers needed to be the police of jurisdiction in the city. Surrey Police (Service) recruitment efforts are and will continue to be destabilizing for police services throughout Metro Vancouver and around the province. Let me be very clear again 91裸聊视频� I will not sit on the sidelines and accept a provincial plan that will cost Surrey taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, lead to significant tax increases, and that will deliver no public safety benefit.91裸聊视频�