The provincial government is updating the Police Act in an effort to prevent the same mess from occurring that continues to define Surreysa国际传媒檚 policing transition to the Surrey Police Service from the Surrey RCMP.

sa国际传媒淧eople deserve to know who is protecting their homes, families and businesses when there is a change in policing in their community,sa国际传媒� Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said Monday in Victoria. sa国际传媒淭hese amendments mean that the confusion caused by the City of Surrey wonsa国际传媒檛 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.sa国际传媒�

Farnworth said the legislation provides sa国际传媒渃larity and finalitysa国际传媒� to Surrey residents concerning the transition. sa国际传媒淎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.sa国际传媒�

Premier David Eby said Tuesday that whether or not Surrey is moving forward to a municipal police force sa国际传媒渋s no longer up for discussion, they are moving forward to a municipal force in Surrey and for everybodysa国际传媒檚 benefit we need to just get on with that work.sa国际传媒�

Farnworth said the legislation also provides, sa国际传媒渋f necessary,sa国际传媒� the provincial government with the ability to appoint an administrator to sa国际传媒渁ssume the functionssa国际传媒� of the Surrey Police Board to oversee the SPS.

To follow the billsa国际传媒檚 progress through the legislator, you can check out

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is not conceding defeat. sa国际传媒淲e are still all in the process of reviewing it and we will continue to do that,sa国际传媒� she said of the legislation released Monday afternoon.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 going to be really clear sa国际传媒� the City of Surrey has made a position, wesa国际传媒檙e not changing that position.

sa国际传媒淔irst and foremost, wesa国际传媒檙e here to protect the taxpayers of this province,sa国际传媒� Locke told reporters. sa国际传媒淲e know that the cost of this transition is extraordinary.sa国际传媒�

Eby said Tuesday itsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒渇rustratingsa国际传媒� his government and Surrey arensa国际传媒檛 on the same page. sa国际传媒淚 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, itsa国际传媒檚 a waste of taxpayer dollars, the Province is going in this direction, so letsa国际传媒檚 sit down, letsa国际传媒檚 move forward.sa国际传媒�

During her Monday presser Locke referenced an easel beside her podium displaying a sa国际传媒渧ery conservativesa国际传媒� $464 million more attached to the SPS over keeping the RCMP over the next 10 years sa国际传媒� not including capital costs and two-officer patrol cars. sa国际传媒淭his is going to be a tremendous increase to taxes in Surrey,sa国际传媒� she warned. sa国际传媒淭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.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭his is going to be a tremendous increase to taxes in Surrey,sa国际传媒� she warned. sa国际传媒淭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.

sa国际传媒淲e will do everything always to protect our taxpayer,sa国际传媒� Locke said. sa国际传媒淚 will do everything always to protect our taxpayer.sa国际传媒�

The provincial government said it will provide Surrey with $150 million toward the cost of the transition but Locke says thatsa国际传媒檚 not nearly enough. Asked if his government will provide more money to Surrey, Eby said the sa国际传媒渂ig challengesa国际传媒� is the longer the dispute is dragged out, the more expensive it gets. He said it behooves Surrey to sa国际传媒渟it down with the Province, not to be going to court to spend more money on lawyers on a decision thatsa国际传媒檚 already been made and will not be overturned by a court.

sa国际传媒淭he mayor fought a good fight, she raised a lot of important issues,sa国际传媒� Eby said, but sa国际传媒渘ow itsa国际传媒檚 time for us to sit down and sort it out.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭he Province has committed to Surrey that we will support them, we understand their additional costs here, we will be working with that and Isa国际传媒檓 happy to have those discussions with Surrey,sa国际传媒� 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 Farnworthsa国际传媒檚 July 19 order to proceed with the SPS. The government has 21 days to file a response.

Asked what she thinks Mondaysa国际传媒檚 development will have on Surreysa国际传媒檚 case, Locke replied she sa国际传媒渃ansa国际传媒檛 speculate on anything with the courts. And again, we havensa国际传媒檛 even really looked at the legislation so I cansa国际传媒檛 make any speculation in that regard.sa国际传媒�

Asked if this means checkmate for Surrey, Coun. Linda Annis replied, sa国际传媒淚 hope this means that wesa国际传媒檙e done and wesa国际传媒檙e moving forward with the transition. I do think the ministersa国际传媒檚 saying enough is enough, we need to get on with it.sa国际传媒�

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

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 incredibly disappointing that this minister has taken so long to make a decision,sa国际传媒� she said, adding sa国际传媒渉e could have said a lot of what hesa国际传媒檚 saying today, he could have said it way back in December. He chose not to, so wesa国际传媒檙e in this position now.sa国际传媒�

Again on the $464 million cost, Locke said, sa国际传媒楾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.sa国际传媒�

During a press scrum after the Legislative Assemblysa国际传媒檚 Monday sitting, when Farnworth was asked what will happen with Surreysa国际传媒檚 court petition in light of the legislation, he replied that sa国际传媒渢he Province always has the ability to govern, and thatsa国际传媒檚 what wesa国际传媒檙e doing. The court process, thatsa国际传媒檚 up to the City of Surrey.sa国际传媒�

Asked when his ministry will file a formal response to Surreysa国际传媒檚 court petition, Farnworth replied sa国际传媒渢hat work is done by the legal services branch and they make those decisions.sa国际传媒�

At Monday nightsa国际传媒檚 regular council meeting, Locke doubled down on Surrey councilsa国际传媒檚 majority position to stick with the RCMP.

She said shesa国际传媒檚 instructed city staff to undertake a review of the policing transition, from day one to now. sa国际传媒淚 want us in Surrey to have a clear understanding of what has transpired over the last five years.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淢y position, this councilsa国际传媒檚 position, has not changed,sa国际传媒� Locke said. sa国际传媒淚 continue to oppose the transition because of the extraordinary cost for Surrey taxpayers that will deliver no public safety benefit.sa国际传媒�

Locke added itsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒渟imply not feasiblesa国际传媒� for Farnworth to say that a police service representing just 25 per cent of frontline officers today is best positioned to be Surreysa国际传媒檚 police of jurisdiction.

sa国际传媒淭he SPS is top-heavy and itsa国际传媒檚 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 sa国际传媒� 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.sa国际传媒�