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BC Conservative Critic demands the return of local policing accountability


BC Conservative Public Safety Critic is calling on Premier David Eby, and Solicitor General Gary Begg to immediately restore local accountability to policing in Surrey.

On November 16, 2023, the former Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced an imposed shutdown of the Surrey Police Board and the appointment of an administrator under Section 8 of the Police Amendment Act. The board has not reconvened since that time.

“The transition to a municipal police force was supposed to provide more local accountability,” says Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale and critic for the Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General.

“David Eby shut down our Surrey Police Service Board and appointed in his own hand-picked administrator, removing local accountability and centralizing control in Victoria.”

“The Premier and Solicitor General have created a situation where Surrey doesn’t have a local voice in policing. The city has agreed to advance the transition, and on November 29, 2024, Surrey Police Service became the police service of jurisdiction,” Sturko says. “It’s time for the Premier to reinstate the police board and return the local accountability that Surrey residents were promised.”

In November 2023, the Minister stated, “All members of the Surrey Police Board have been suspended and they will resume their roles when the administrator’s appointment concludes.”

There has been no clarity as to when that work will be completed, or any clarity as to what stage the transition must advance to before David Eby relinquishes his control and allows the residents of Surrey to have the local accountability the NDP promised.

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