The City of Surrey has leased 10 city-owned properties – including the RCMP detachment building in Newton – to the Surrey Police Board for $1 over five years as the Surrey Police Service prepares to replace the RCMP as the city's police of jurisdiction.
The switch-over is set for Friday (Nov. 29). After that, Surrey council heard, it's the provincial government's responsibility to provide accommodations for the provincial RCMP unit that will support the SPS as it ramps up its force.
Staff told council the lease is being provided at "nominal value" and is for five years.
"Is nominal zero?" Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke asked, and was told it's set at $1 for the facilities.
"That's pretty nominal," she remarked.
Coun. Rob Stutt voted in opposition.
The Police Act requires the City to provide adequate accommodation to its police force and to that end, it's leasing the following properties to the Surrey Police Board: 14355 57 Ave. (the RCMP detachment building in Newton), 14245 56 Ave. (that portion known as West Main, South Tower and formerly known as Old City Hall, South Tower), 14245 56 Ave. (that portion known as West Main, West Wing and formerly known as Old City Hall, West Tower), 14245 56 Ave. (that portion known as Headquarters Administration and formerly known as North Annex), 14577 66 Ave. (police training facility), 10720 King George Blvd. (Whalley/City Centre District 1 office), 10395 148 St. (Fleetwood/Guildford District 2 office), 1815 152 St. (South Surrey District 5 office), 18513 70 Ave. (Clayton Hall), and 10681 135A St. (Fraser Health overdose prevention site).
According to a corporate report that came before council on Nov. 18, the SPS "will work with the RCMP to share these accommodations as the two police
agencies continue to work together to provide law enforcement in Surrey."
Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards on Nov. 20 told the Now-Leader he wasn't yet aware of this. "This building has never belonged to the RCMP, it's always been a City of Surrey asset," he said in an interview at the main detachment building. "And then under the municipal police unit agreement, which is the mechanism under which we police Surrey, the accommodations which is what we call facilities are provided by the City free of charge to the RCMP."
In terms of the specific facilities and who will be in what location come Nov. 29, Edwards said, "I don't have an answer for that yet, it hasn't been finalized. There's work that needs to be done right up until the final day. As you can imagine, it's a very complex police transition."
Asked if he will be in charge of the provincial RCMP unit that will provide support as the SPS transition forges ahead, he replied "the officer in charge of that has not yet been announced and how that will look is we'll be making more details of that known as we get closer to next week.
"I'm just one of over 500 members that are still here that have to determine next steps in their career," Edwards said, "so there's nothing special about me."
