Surrey City Council Adopts $284.5M Policing Budget as Municipal Service Assumes Full Cloverdale Operations

SURREY, BC — Surrey City Council and the Surrey Police Board formalized a milestone $284.5 million policing operational budget for the 2026 fiscal year on Monday, providing stable long-term funding as the municipal police agency completes its takeover of all operational detachments from the RCMP.

Budget Compromise and Operational Staffing Targets

The finalized $284.5 million budget represents a negotiated compromise following an initial $331.5 million request by the police board. Mayor Brenda Locke highlighted that the revised figure provides an essential $45 million increase over 2025 expenditures while eliminating unspent infrastructure contingencies, ensuring taxpayers receive cost-effective municipal safety services.

Interim Chief Constable Todd Matsumoto confirmed that the funding envelope fully supports the authorized deployment of over 500 active sworn officers and specialized civilian investigative units across Surrey's growing metropolitan footprint.

Cloverdale Transition and District Operational Handover

The funding approval follows the successful transfer of District 4 (Cloverdale) to full Surrey Police Service jurisdiction, joining previously transitioned commands in City Centre, Newton, Guildford, and South Surrey. Front-line patrol response, traffic enforcement, and community policing units are now operated primarily under municipal command.

The remaining transitional RCMP support contingent will gradually phase out over the next 18 months, with full demobilization targeted for late 2027.

Public Safety Priorities and Extortion Task Force

Council directed the police service to prioritize resources for the regional business extortion task force and violent crime suppression units, reinforcing community outreach initiatives with diverse South Asian and youth organizations across the city.