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Province releases long-awaited 455-page report on Surrey’s police transition

This follows Farnworth giving approval to create the police board
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Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth speaks to media on February 5, 2018.(Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito)

Surrey’s long-awaited police transition report has been released.

The Provincial Municipality Policing Transition Study Committee’s 455-page report was posted online Tuesday (March 10), according to a release from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

The ministry says the report has been “reviewed and redacted based on privacy, security and operational decisions.”

READ ALSO: Solicitor General has ‘no illusions’ about acrimony over Surrey’s police transition, Feb. 27, 2020

The report summarizes six “major issues related to the City of Surrey’s policing transition plan.” Those issues are: pensions and collective agreements, recruitment, training, information management and information technology, investigative file continuity and business impacts.

The report “provides commentary on the steps necessary to ensure the policing transition is orderly and completed effectively with due regard for the importance of maintaining public safety throughout the process.”

The committee, which was chaired by Wally Oppal, included representatives from the City of Surrey, the ministry and independent consultants “with specialized expertise.”

Read the report here:

READ ALSO: Surrey police will replace RCMP, government confirms, Feb. 27, 2020

This follows Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth giving the city his approval to create a police board on Feb. 27.

No timeline has yet been provided for when the new force will begin patrolling, but Mayor Doug McCallum has stated that he’s still aiming for April 1, 2021.

It was on Aug, 22, 2019 that Farnworth gave the city the go-ahead to pursue the plan, following councils unanimous decision at its inaugural council meeting on Nov. 5, 2018 to cancel the city’s contract with the Surrey RCMP.

READ ALSO: ‘This situation is discouraging’: Surrey’s top cop responds to police force approval, Feb. 27, 2020

READ ALSO: Surrey councillors ‘very disappointed’ as B.C. gives final approval of city police force, Feb. 27, 2020

– With files from Tom Zytaruk



Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's national team, after my journalism career took me across B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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