Surrey Councillor Rob Stutt says he’s been waiting nearly 10 months for the Province of B.C. to appear before city council to provide a public update on Surrey’s policing transition and how the government’s $250 million allocation toward the process is being used.
Repeated requests since January
Stutt first raised the request at a Jan. 13 council meeting, asking that senior provincial representatives brief council on transition progress. He says the Province agreed to attend in June, but no update has been delivered since.
“I’ve had three personal interactions with senior provincial members about this — in May, June, and August,” Stutt said at council’s Nov. 3 meeting, adding that Mayor Brenda Locke has also followed up with the director of policing.
City staff seek firm commitment
City manager Rob Costanzo confirmed there’s still no set date despite “several written and verbal requests.”
He said he, Mayor Locke, and Brian Edwards, Surrey’s general manager of public safety, met in Victoria last week to again ask the minister and director of police services to attend.
“They responded that they would attend,” Costanzo said. “We’ll now provide dates and hope for written confirmation before year-end.”
Push for transparency
When first proposing the motion, Stutt emphasized that Surrey and the Province must maintain public transparency during the transition from RCMP to the Surrey Police Service (SPS).
“The public has a right to know,” Stutt said. “The Province continues to play a leading role in helping the city deliver public safety.”
The SPS officially became police of jurisdiction on Nov. 29, 2024, but the full transition isn’t expected to finish until 2026–27, as Surrey RCMP continues to phase out operations.
(Source: Surrey Now-Leader, Nov. 5, 2025)
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