This will likely be extremely unpopular in some circles, but those who are virulently opposed to the looming creation of the Surrey Police to replace the Surrey RCMP must face the fact that this, as sure as the rolling tide, has become less of a threat and more of a certainty.
Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum scored what might be characterized as a check-mate this past Thursday with Solicitor General Mike Farnworth’s confirmation that a police board will be set up to run this show. Like it or not, he certainly deserves credit for making good on his campaign promise to replace the Mounties with a city force.
History will tell if he was right. But that assessment is a long way off, for sure.
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Those Surrey residents – and clearly, there are many – who feel they’ve been bypassed by a council majority that has placed little value in their outcry to keep the RCMP in Surrey will no doubt seek to exact revenge on the Safe Surrey Coalition in the next civic election, set for Oct. 15, 2022.
Until then, some of the opponents to this new police force being formed will no doubt, like Don Quixote tilting against windmills, continue their effort to see this major project reversed. But at this point, let’s face it, that’s a pipe dream.
Perhaps it would be more wise for them to now transfer to all their energy into focusing on making this inevitable new police force the best it can possibly be, though there might be little appetite among critics who’ve learned the hard way– or have yet to learn – through this exercise that while you can indeed fight city hall, winning that fight can be an insurmountable challenge indeed.
– Now-Leader
edit@surreynowleader.com
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