B.C. has right to force Surrey police transition, judge rules

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says a B.C. Supreme Court judge says he has the right to order the city of Surrey to transition away from the RCMP, after a court challenge by mayor Brenda Locke.

A B.C Supreme Court judge says the province has the right to order the City of Surrey to transition from the RCMP to a municipal police force, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced Thursday.

The decision quashes Mayor Brenda Locke's bid to halt the transition — a key promise of her 2022 municipal election campaign — after nearly two years of feuding with the B.C. government over the future of policing in the province's second largest and fastest growing municipality.

Farnworth said the safety of Surrey residents has been at the centre of the province's efforts to push forward the transition to the Surrey Police Service (SPS), the municipal force initiated by Locke's predecessor Doug McCallum.

"People in Surrey want this to be over," Farnworth said in a statement Thursday. "I am hopeful that today's ruling is the time to come together to complete the transition to the Surrey Police Service."

CBC has contacted Locke, Surrey RCMP and SPS for comment.