Premier David Ebysa国际传媒檚 best estimate on when Surrey will learn what his governmentsa国际传媒檚 decision is on the citysa国际传媒檚 policing transition is in sa国际传媒渃oming weeks.sa国际传媒�
But Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke suspects it may come sooner.
sa国际传媒淲e are very cautiously optimistic this will be resolved in the next week or so,sa国际传媒� Locke told the Now-Leader on Friday. sa国际传媒淢y hope is by next week I know where Surrey is on answering the questions for the ministry so Isa国际传媒檓 very hopeful wesa国际传媒檙e going to be able to have some kind of resolution by the end of next week, maybe the week after.sa国际传媒�
Still, sa国际传媒渃oming weekssa国际传媒� was Ebysa国际传媒檚 response after the Now-Leader asked him during a presser in Surrey on Friday if he could provide at least a ballpark timeline on when Surrey will have a decision from his government.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e expecting final information from the city of Surrey in the coming weeks and once that information has been confirmed by the ministry of the solicitor general and that theysa国际传媒檙e satisfied that public safety has been addressed in any plan that Surreysa国际传媒檚 putting forward, the matter will be remitted to Surrey to proceed as is their ability to do, which is the best direction that they think the city of Surrey should move forward on,sa国际传媒� Eby said.
He said he recognizes there is sa国际传媒渉uge urgencysa国际传媒� on the part of Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, city council and Surrey residents that the issue gets resolved. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e working hard at the provincial level with City of Surrey staff to clarify the numbers and the plan to make sure that wesa国际传媒檙e discharging our duty and get this back as quickly as possible to Surreysa国际传媒檚 hands.sa国际传媒�
Premiere Eby responding to question on the timeline of the policing transition in Surrey
sa国际传媒� Anna Burns (@AnnaBBurns)
The RCMP has been Surreysa国际传媒檚 police of jurisdiction since it took over from the Surrey Police on May 1, 1951, as the result of a plebiscite. Surreysa国际传媒檚 is the largest RCMP detachment in all of Canada.
On Nov. 5th, 2018, the council of the day, led by mayor Doug McCallum, served notice to the provincial and federal governments that it would end its contract with the RCMP to set up its own force.
Four years and one civic election later, on Nov. 14, 2022, the current council led by Locke decided on a 5-4 vote to maintain the Surrey RCMP as this citysa国际传媒檚 police of jurisdiction instead of forging ahead with the Surrey Police Service.
Both camps in this acrimonious struggle roundly slammed Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworthsa国际传媒檚 announcement on Thursday, Jan. 26 that more information was needed from either side to sa国际传媒渋nform further considerationsa国际传媒� as to whether Surrey should maintain the RCMP as its police department of jurisdiction or continue with the transition to the Surrey Police Service from the RCMP.
sa国际传媒淭he longer two police agencies are operating with this uncertainty, the more taxpayer dollars are being unnecessarily spent. The instability needs to come to an end, and a timely response is critical,sa国际传媒� Locke fumed at the time.
The Surrey Police Board, which is set to next meet on Feb. 22, also lamented that delay, stating in a press release it is sa国际传媒渦nfortunate that a matter of such critical importance to the community is being delayed.sa国际传媒�
Asked Friday if he cansa国际传媒檛 narrow the timeline to something other that coming weeks, Eby replied that the sa国际传媒渃hallengesa国际传媒� is that the solicitor general has a statutory responsibility to ensure public safety in the transition plan.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e certainly aware of the urgency at the provincial level and the critical piece is that there is a credible transition plan that everybody can have confidence that that public safety piece is crossed off, and once we can do that then wesa国际传媒檙e ready to go.sa国际传媒�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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