Provincial Decision on Surrey Policing Imposes Politics Over Plan and Evidence

NPF Calls for Timeline Certainty and Respect for RCMP Member Careers

VANCOUVER, BC, July 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Below is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President & CEO, National Police Federation, in response to the Surrey policing decision announced earlier today by B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth:

"Today, B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, announced the Province's decision to impose a transition to the Surrey Police Service (SPS) on the City of Surrey, its residents, and Members of the Surrey RCMP.

With no plan in place, this is disappointing but not surprising. This has always been about politics over facts and evidence. Our Members have been living and working in uncertainty since late 2018 and have been stabilizing a fledgling police service since July 2020. There is still no end in sight.

Pending the City of Surrey's response to this decision, we call on the Premier and the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General to prepare an expeditious transition plan that includes a clear and imminent end date for the Surrey RCMP. This plan must not prioritize SPS restaffing at the expense of RCMP vacancies Canada-wide, consistent with the statement made by Canada's Premiers, including Premier Eby, on July 12 concerning RCMP recruitment challenges and staffing shortages.

We also ask the Commanding Officer of the B.C. RCMP to ensure individualized HR plans for each Surrey detachment Member reflecting their career aspirations and geographic postings of choice, which may be anywhere in Canada. Their dedication and diligence throughout this protracted exercise has been nothing short of professional, and it deserves our utmost support and respect.

The Province has repeatedly chosen to ignore the RCMP's recent positive recruitment efforts and strong track record of crime reduction despite the data, which we outlined in a letter to Premier Eby just yesterday.

Between 2019-2021, the most recent reported by Statistics Canada, the B.C. RCMP have achieved an 11% reduction in the Crime Severity Index, a key metric of crime.

In Surrey specifically, from 2015 to 2021, the RCMP achieved a 26% Crime Severity Index reduction and a 27% reduction in the Violent Crime Severity Index over the same period, the last of which also decreased by 9% in 2022 alone.

These impressive results have not gone unnoticed by Surrey voters ? the majority of whom have supported retaining the RCMP in five waves of research and who most recently voted for a majority Council who ran on that commitment.

We wish to thank our Members for their professionalism and commitment over the past four years of uncertainty and criticism, and we look forward to supporting them as this evolves."

The National Police Federation (NPF) represents ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally. It is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada and second largest in North America. We are focused on improving public safety in Canada for our Members and all Canadians by advocating for investment in policing and other related supports and services. This includes calling for required resourcing, equipment, and supports to enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.

For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/

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SOURCE National Police Federation