Surrey city council votes to keep RCMP, pauses transition to municipal force

Surrey city council has decided to keep the RCMP in the city, pausing the contentious transition to a municipal force.

Surrey city council has decided to keep the RCMP in the city, pausing the contentious transition to a municipal force.

Newly-elected mayor Brenda Locke campaigned on the promise she would keep Mounties in Surrey, and was ultimately the deciding factor with a 5-4 vote in favour of retaining the RCMP.

“Right now the Surrey Police Service have proven they can’t do the job for the City of Surrey,” said Locke.

City staff will now have to send a report to Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.

The report will need to detail how the SPS will be dismantled and the associated costs.

However, Monday night’s vote was not a decisive decision.

"Do we want to continue to endure the rash of shootings that never seem to end? You know what my answer is, no. I do not want to go back to a police force that is undermanned and continues to be undermanned to this day,” Councillor Doug Elford said, referencing the RCMP.