IMAGINE HOW MUCH IT WOULD SAVE AB

Sticking with RCMP would save Surrey, B.C., $235 million: report

SURREY, B.C. — City council in Surrey, B.C., has voted to send a plan to the province to keep the RCMP as its police force, saying it would save $235 million over five years.


Sticking with RCMP would save Surrey, B.C., $235 million: report© Provided by The Canadian Press

Mayor Brenda Locke, who campaigned on a promise to retain the RCMP, says that saving for Surrey taxpayers is enormous and the city must stick with the Mounties because it can't afford to continue with the change to a municipal force.

The report says the cost of 734 officers with the Surrey Police Service would be $249,460 per officer, while each Mountie would be $205,990.

A statement from the service, which is well into its transition, says the report overestimates how many of its officers would join the Surrey RCMP and doesn't consider $100 million in costs that have already been incurred.

The city says the plan will be sent to Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth by Dec. 15 for his final review and approval, with Locke saying a prompt decision is essential to prevent any further unnecessary spending.

A statement from Farnworth says it's his responsibility to ensure the city's plan meets the requirements of the Police Act and public safety continues to be the "core driving principle" for all decisions about policing in Surrey.

Farnworth says he expects to receive the city's plan this week and he'll review it with B.C.'s director of police services.

Locke says she expects an answer from the government by early in the new year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2022.

The Canadian Press