SURREY, British Columbia — The National Police Federation (NPF) is calling on Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum to hold a referendum on keeping the RCMP in Surrey. The NPF, which represents 20,000 RCMP members across Canada and 850 members serving the people of Surrey, is asking for Surrey residents to be offered a say on this important issue.
“Instead of funding more frontline RCMP officers to fight crime and gang violence, the Mayor is planning to spend $19 million on a new police bureaucracy that will report directly to him,” said Brian Sauvé, President of the NPF. “Surrey residents deserves a say on this important issue, and the Mayor needs to listen.”
A recent poll of 800 Surrey residents by Pollara Strategic Insights, commissioned by the NPF, found that 82% support a referendum and 77% support retaining the RCMP with improvements. This is aligned with the 40,000 signatures collected by the grassroots residents’ group ‘Keep the RCMP in Surrey’, delivered to the Premier’s Office last week.
“Despite the fact that Surrey has underfunded the RCMP for years, our members have worked extremely hard in challenging circumstances to keep Surrey streets safe with crime currently at a ten-year low,” added Sauvé. “If the Mayor has $19 million for a new police bureaucracy, many people believe he should put that money into more RCMP officers who are on the frontline helping Surrey residents today.”
Surrey is one of Canada’s fastest growing and most diverse cities. Under the RCMP, crime in Surrey has steadily decreased since 2007, and is at a ten-year low. The NPF and its members have been seeking engagement with Mayor and Council, as well as the provincial government, but their voices have been largely ignored.
“The people of Surrey have seen the Mayor’s plan and they don’t like it, that’s why so many people are speaking up to support keeping the RCMP,” added Sauvé. “The RCMP was established in Surrey by referendum in 1950, and Surrey residents deserve another referendum to keep the RCMP and say no to the Mayor’s plan.” (bsauve@npf-fpn.com)