Surrey taxpayers need real numbers and the whole truth about police transition costs and timing, then a referendum: Gordie Hogg, Surrey First

Surrey, B.C. (September 28, 2022): Surrey First candidate for mayor Gordie Hogg says recent media comments by Brenda Locke show just how important it is to “get the real facts and costs about the police transition” in order to give Surrey taxpayers a referendum on who should police the city.

In a media interview Tuesday, Locke was asked about the costs of police transition to date, and the cost of shutting it down and keeping the RCMP. Locke replied, “there will be a cost of severing the four or five senior (SPS) members … but outside of that there isn’t a lot of expenditures … so the costs are minimal.” In addition, Locke said existing SPS officers would “find a place to go and it may well be with the RCMP.”

“The simple fact is, no one, including Brenda Locke, has the facts, or real numbers,” said Hogg. “Doug McCallum has done a terrific job of hiding the numbers and details, so until we press pause on the transition and get the facts, comments like those made yesterday by Brenda Locke just don’t add up. Does anyone really think the cost of shutting down the transition will just be the severance costs of four or five senior SPS officers? Does anyone really believe that the RCMP will just absorb hundreds of SPS hires into their ranks and culture with the wave of a magic wand? Talk about wishful thinking, again with no real facts or details. Wishing and hoping is not a plan.”

Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis, said the transition is over budget and two years behind, and needs to be stopped so the residents of Surrey can make their decision on policing.

“Trying to get the facts and real budget numbers while Doug McCallum has been mayor has been impossible,” said Annis. “No one in Surrey, including those of us on council, know the real numbers, and we won’t until we get a new mayor and council who carry out a detailed forensic audit. When that’s done, and the people of Surrey know the truth, they can decide who polices our city. Doug McCallum and Brenda Locke have been clear, they will not let Surrey voters decide who polices Surrey. Gordie Hogg will.”