To the Editor,
As Surrey residents follow the maneuvering between the City of Surrey and the provincial government around who will provide policing services, one can only wonder if there is a better solution. Could one exist?
Finding a better solution must take into consideration two major stumbling blocks. These are Mayor Brenda Locke’s determination to not succumb to a municipal police service, and the Premier’s determination to move past the RCMP. This logjam continues to impact Surrey taxpayers.
Based on these points, the obvious compromise is the make Surrey the first jurisdiction for a new B.C. Provincial Police Service. This solution means there will be no losers. Instead, both the mayor and premier become winners and visionaries for the Metro Vancouver region.
Even Mr. Eby has stated a provincial police service could be in the province’s future. Plus, the province has already offered to fund a large portion of the new police service in Surrey.
Surrey’s population is positioned to become the largest in the province. It seems logical that Surrey takes the lead to modernize police services in Metro Vancouver. Ontario and Quebec already use a provincial policing model. B.C.’s population warrants a similar, unified approach to protecting the metro region from crime.
If fact, there is no better time than now to begin the transition to a modern provincial police service. Once Surrey has built the provincial policing structure, then other municipalities and cities in Metro Vancouver could join the ranks as part of the newly formed British Columbia Police Service (BCPS).
Dan Zaklan, Surrey
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