Premier David Eby and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth pass legislation mandating the City of Surrey finish its transition to the Surrey Police Service.
Choseno Civic News Desk
Provincial and municipal political affairs reporting
VICTORIA, B.C. — The British Columbia government has enacted binding legislation ordering the City of Surrey to proceed with its transition from the RCMP to the municipal Surrey Police Service (SPS), concluding months of public disputes between municipal and provincial leadership.
Premier David Eby emphasized that the legislative intervention was necessary to guarantee policing stability and community safety across the province's second-largest city and the broader region.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth introduced amendments to the Police Act (Bill 36) ensuring that Surrey must finalize the SPS transition as the police of jurisdiction. Provincial officials cited systemic staffing shortages across the RCMP nationwide and the risks of prolonged operational paralysis as central factors in the decision.
"People in Surrey want this resolved, and front-line officers deserve certainty," Premier Eby stated in Victoria. "We are committed to supporting a smooth, orderly transition that maintains public safety as the top priority."
The province reaffirmed a financial assistance package to assist Surrey with transitional costs, appointing a provincial administrator to oversee the Surrey Police Board and ensure milestone dates are met without compromising front-line response times.