Surrey Police Service prepares to take command, ending years-long saga

Outside the Surrey RCMP detachment, signs were removed and replaced with ones from the Surrey Police Service (SPS) connected Thursday.

As of midnight, SPS is the constabulary bureau of jurisdiction for the city.

“Surrey Police Service is acceptable for the changeable of midnight contiguous erstwhile we go constabulary of jurisdiction for the metropolis of Surrey,” SPS spokesperson Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told Global News.

The changeover is coming aft a years-long conflict that yet forced the state to intervene.

“I deliberation it’s a large time for the residents of the metropolis of Surrey,” said erstwhile Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum, who initiated the modulation successful 2018.

“It’s been six years since we brought successful the archetypal motion, but this is the largest transportation of a constabulary unit successful North America.”

In the days ahead, SPS volition grip calls successful Surrey Districts 1 and 3. The RCMP volition be calls successful Districts 2, 4 and 5.

Over time, that volition change, arsenic much officers are hired.

Trending Now

SPS says it has besides signed agreements with each of the portion and province’s integrated teams.

“If there’s a homicide successful the metropolis of Surrey, past we volition spouse with (the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team),” Houghton said.

“If there’s a large collision, we’ll spouse with the collision team. If we request (police helicopter) Air One, we’ll telephone Air One. All of that doesn’t change.”

The RCMP said won’t remark astir the modulation until a property league scheduled for Friday.