Months of sabre-rattling rhetoric between Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth over the city91裸聊视频檚 incendiary policing transition amplified into political cannon fire this week after Locke announced on Monday the city is challenging in court the 91裸聊视频榗onstitutionality91裸聊视频� of the provincial government91裸聊视频檚 decision to replace the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service.

An amended petition to the one Surrey filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Oct. 13 was filed Nov. 20 and Locke characterized this move as a 91裸聊视频渟ignificant step to stop the NDP police service91裸聊视频� as a result of the provincial government91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渁ttempted police takeover, which would require double digit 91裸聊视频� double digit 91裸聊视频� NDP tax hike on Surrey taxpayers.

91裸聊视频淲e are challenging the constitutionality of the province91裸聊视频檚 latest legislation,91裸聊视频� Locke said. 91裸聊视频淪urrey voters deserve to have their voices heard.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e have to fight for what91裸聊视频檚 right,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淭his is not a municipal police force that we91裸聊视频檙e looking at right now,91裸聊视频� Locke said of the SPS. 91裸聊视频淭his is a provincial imposition on the citizens and the residents and the taxpayer of Surrey. That91裸聊视频檚 not what the voters asked for.91裸聊视频�

Farnworth dismissed Locke91裸聊视频檚 latest move as 91裸聊视频渏ust an example of delaying tactics by the mayor and I think all it does is cost taxpayers money and it is a waste of money and a waste of time.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e have every confidence in the constitutionality of the legislation,91裸聊视频� he said Nov. 20. 91裸聊视频淭he decision has been made, the future of policing in Surrey is the Surrey Police Service.91裸聊视频�

This latest petition is aimed at the provincial government amending the Police Act last month to specify that Surrey must provide policing services through a municipal police department gave the solicitor general authority to cancel the existing agreement between the provincial government and the City of Surrey for the provision of RCMP services.

91裸聊视频淭his is absolutely a tragedy,91裸聊视频� Locke said. 91裸聊视频淎nd I think citizens in Surrey absolutely deserve better. I hear from them every day, they91裸聊视频檙e concerned about affordability and this is a significant impact on affordability.91裸聊视频�

Farnworth said at the time that 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.

Locke all but declared political war on the NDP government Monday. 91裸聊视频淭he question before the courts is whether the province has the constitutional right to do what it is attempting to do to Surrey and Surrey taxpayers with this legislation,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚 wouldn91裸聊视频檛 say I91裸聊视频檓 digging in my heels, but what I would say is I will fight for Surrey taxpayers every single day and we know that the costs are incredible.91裸聊视频�

Farnworth waged political war back, slamming Locke91裸聊视频檚 reference to the NDP tax on Surrey and the NDP police service as a 91裸聊视频渃heap political shot.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淵ou know there are hundreds of men and women right now, on the ground in Surrey, who are dedicated police officers and for the mayor of Surrey to denigrate that by trying to take some cheap political shot I think is disrespectful to those men and women who put their life on the line every single day to protect the citizens of Surrey,91裸聊视频� Farnworth remarked, 91裸聊视频渨hether they91裸聊视频檙e Surrey Police Service members or whether they91裸聊视频檙e RCMP. I just think it91裸聊视频檚 incredibly disrespectful.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淔or the mayor to say that you know, oh, it91裸聊视频檚 an NDP police service, quite frankly, I think it91裸聊视频檚 a disgrace.91裸聊视频�

Locke was taken aback.

91裸聊视频淔or the solicitor general to use the sacrifice of police officers over a political dispute was highly, highly unusual and I would say inappropriate,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚f the NDP don91裸聊视频檛 want to be associated with an unaffordable, disorganized police force which is what they have lined up then they can fix that.91裸聊视频�

Prior to the legislation being amended, Locke noted, the Police Act said local governments get to choose their police department. 91裸聊视频淭hat was the Act previously, that is what they91裸聊视频檝e changed specific to Surrey and that is a massive concern to me.91裸聊视频�

The mayor said she was elected to 91裸聊视频渇ight91裸聊视频� for Surrey residents 91裸聊视频渆very day,91裸聊视频� and promised that91裸聊视频檚 what she91裸聊视频檒l do. Locke said this conflict is about affordability in Surrey and dodging a double-digit tax increase for its residents. She said she91裸聊视频檚 concerned for families, seniors, 91裸聊视频渙rdinary citizens and everybody that is going to be dramatically, dramatically impacted by this NDP tax on Surrey.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭his government does not have the right to run roughshod over every local government that doesn91裸聊视频檛 bend to their will,91裸聊视频� Locke said. 91裸聊视频淲hen Surrey didn91裸聊视频檛 agree with their costly plans they hastily ordered us to move forward with a very expensive and disorganized transition and when we had challenged their authority to do that, they rushed through legislation at a record pace to cover up the mistakes that they had made.91裸聊视频�

Locke noted that prior to the 2022 city election the provincial government 91裸聊视频渟aid choosing a police was the city91裸聊视频檚 decision, so my team and I ran on a platform that was clear 91裸聊视频� we would stop the police transition and keep the RCMP in Surrey.91裸聊视频�

She added that after the election, the provincial government said the City of Surrey 91裸聊视频渉ad the option to put forward a plan to keep the RCMP. It is now clear that the province had other plans in mind.91裸聊视频�

On Oct. 13, the City of Surrey filed its first petition with the Supreme Court of British Columbia seeking a judicial review of Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth91裸聊视频檚 July 19 order to proceed with the SPS, as the mayor continues to stands firm in the majority of council91裸聊视频檚 intention to stick with the RCMP as Surrey91裸聊视频檚 police of jurisdiction.

The provincial government has yet to file a response to Surrey91裸聊视频檚 petition with the court registry and 91裸聊视频渇or reasons that are privileged91裸聊视频� cannot provide an estimated date. Respondents served in Canada are typically given 21 days to respond.

91裸聊视频淎s far as I know there hasn91裸聊视频檛 been a response filed and I will be meeting with lawyers about that very soon,91裸聊视频� Locke told the Now-Leader.

Farnworth on Nov. 16 temporarily suspended the Surrey Police Board 91裸聊视频� of which Locke was chairwoman 91裸聊视频� and appointed retired Abbotsford police chief Mike Serr as its replacement administrator.

Locke sees Farnworth91裸聊视频檚 move to put the 91裸聊视频渃ompletely dysfunctional91裸聊视频� SPB on ice and appoint an administer in its stead as a decision on his part that Surrey doesn91裸聊视频檛 need civilian oversight.

91裸聊视频淭he minister has decided that Surrey doesn91裸聊视频檛 need civilian oversight at the police board and so he suspended the entire police board,91裸聊视频� she told the Now-Leader. 91裸聊视频淚 think there91裸聊视频檚 no question, if anyone looks back at the open part of the police board meetings, this police board was completely dysfunctional. The province knew that, the former director of police services knew that, they have apologized to me for the behaviour of the board.91裸聊视频�

Farnworth appointed Serr under Section 8 of the Police Amendment Act, he said, 91裸聊视频渁fter careful consideration of the work by the Surrey Police Board, which has been limited due to the lack of progress from the City of Surrey in advancing the police model transition to the SPS.91裸聊视频�

Locke said she doesn91裸聊视频檛 know how much Serr is being paid. 91裸聊视频淚 heard it was $225 an hour.91裸聊视频�

She said the city of Surrey still hasn91裸聊视频檛 seen a plan from the provincial government on how the transition will move ahead.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e said 91裸聊视频榳hat is your plan?91裸聊视频� and they somehow think we should provide that plan and I91裸聊视频檝e said to them we have a plan, and that91裸聊视频檚 to keep the RCMP in Surrey, we gave you that plan, but we haven91裸聊视频檛 seen their plan.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淣ow they have removed civilian oversight and installed another police officer to carry out this expensive, disorganized transition. At best the province misled Surrey taxpayers,91裸聊视频� Locke added. 91裸聊视频淭his is not a Surrey Police Service, this is an NDP Police Service that reports to the solicitor general directly. My team and I have been clear 91裸聊视频� we oppose this transition and will do everything within reason to stop it.

91裸聊视频淭here is no civilian oversight, so how are we to say this is our police force? Of course this is the NDP police force, it91裸聊视频檚 the one appointed by the minister.91裸聊视频�

According to a City of Surrey press release, 91裸聊视频淥ver the next decade, the province91裸聊视频檚 police transition is estimated to cost at least $464 million with no additional public safety benefit to the residents of Surrey.91裸聊视频�

Farnworth said Serr will submit a budget to Surrey by Nov. 30 and if the city says it91裸聊视频檚 not happy with the budget, 91裸聊视频渢hat goes to the director of police services for them to make a decision, recommendations or changes or what have you. That91裸聊视频檚 been in existence in the Police Act for a long time and has been used from time to time.91裸聊视频�