Surrey Police Service officially takes over from the RCMP after years-long saga
CTV
The years-long saga over who will police the city of Surrey has reached its final chapter.
The years-long saga over who will police the city of Surrey has reached its final chapter.
As of midnight Friday, the Surrey Police Service has officially taken over.
The process began in 2018, when former mayor Doug McCallum proposed the municipal force during the first council meeting of his second term in office.
Four years later, McCallum lost re-election to Brenda Locke, who had initially been elected as a councillor under his Safe Surrey Coalition.
Locke campaigned on reversing the transition which landed her in a very public and heated conflict with the then-public safety minister, Mike Farnworth. The mayor accused Farnworth of bullying her and misogyny.
After months of uncertainty, Farnworth used his authority to force the city to move forward with the Surrey Police Service.
The municipality also lost a bid to have the decision reversed by the B.C. Supreme Court.
