Councillor Linda Annis Unveils 300-Officer Public Safety Plan and Police Training Academy Proposal

SURREY, BC — Surrey City Councillor Linda Annis (Surrey First) presented a comprehensive municipal public safety framework at Surrey City Hall, calling for the staged recruitment of 300 additional police officers over the next four years.

300-Officer Recruitment and Municipal Training Academy

Under Councillor Annis's proposal, the City of Surrey would onboard 75 frontline officers annually while establishing a state-of-the-art regional police training academy in Cloverdale. The initiative also earmarks funding for 600 high-definition intersection cameras connected directly to emergency dispatch operations.

Councillor Annis stated that with Surrey rapidly approaching a population of 700,000, frontline staffing ratios must keep pace with rapid urban growth and commercial expansion in City Centre and South Surrey.

Fiscal Modeling and Council Debate

The Surrey First caucus proposed funding the safety expansion by reallocating capital reserves from discretionary civic projects, such as the proposed 10,000-seat entertainment arena, directly toward neighborhood policing hubs.

Council members debated the impact of debt-servicing costs on the city's 10-year capital plan.

Public Consultation and Committee Review

The public safety framework will be referred to the Surrey Public Safety Advisory Committee for stakeholder review.