Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum has been charged with public mischief, with his first date in Surrey provincial court set for Jan. 25.

Special prosecutor Richard Fowler, QC, approved the charge after the RCMP investigated a complaint from McCallum concerning 香蕉视频直播渆vents that allegedly occurred on Sept. 4 in Surrey.

McCallum could not be immediately reached for comment. City hall put out a written statement from McCallum that reads: 香蕉视频直播淲e are in the middle of changing from RCMP to the Surrey Police Service and as this matter is before the courts, I will not be making any comment.香蕉视频直播�

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Coun. Brenda Locke, so far McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 only confirmed rival for the mayors香蕉视频直播� seat in the next civic election this coming October, is calling for his resignation.

香蕉视频直播淢r. McCallum must do the honourable thing and resign as Mayor of the City of Surrey and Chair of the Surrey Police Service effective immediately,香蕉视频直播� she said.

McCallum has specifically been charged with one count of public mischief contrary to Section 140(2) of the Criminal Code, with the information sworn on Friday, Dec. 10.

A bizarre encounter between McCallum and petition signature campaigners outside the South Point Save-On Foods store in September resulted in the mayor claiming a car ran over hit foot and Coun. Allison Patton characterizing this as 香蕉视频直播渁ttempted murder.香蕉视频直播�

Later in the month a special prosecutor was appointed to advise the RCMP in its investigation related to a complaint lodged by the mayor.

News broke in October that the RCMP was conducting an investigation into possible public mischief related to claims made by the mayor concerning his foot being run over.

Coun. Linda Annis told the Now-Leader she is 香蕉视频直播渟hocked香蕉视频直播� by the charge.

香蕉视频直播淚 think it is a real setback for the city,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淧oliticians, you know, civic leaders should be honest and forthcoming.香蕉视频直播�

Asked if she thinks the mayor should resign, Annis replied, 香蕉视频直播淚 certainly think that we should let the courts do their due process. Although he香蕉视频直播檚 been charged he has not yet been convicted. I do think that he should take a leave of absence until this is resolved.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淓veryone is entitled to their day in court,香蕉视频直播� Annis said, 香蕉视频直播渁nd we need to wait until a decision by a judge has been made either way. But certainly, through the process, I do think that he should step aside.香蕉视频直播�

Coun. Jack Hundial, a former Surrey Mountie, said he thinks it香蕉视频直播檚 time for McCallum to step down from the Surrey Police Board, of which the mayor is chairman, 香蕉视频直播渁nd also as mayor, it香蕉视频直播檚 time for him to resign.

香蕉视频直播淐ertainly if he does not step down from the police board immediately, the police board itself needs to ask for his resignation and if I was member of that police board I certainly wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 want to tie my integrity to the chair of the police board,香蕉视频直播� Hundial added.

Coun. Doug Elford, of McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 Safe Surrey Coalition said he香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渧ery reluctant香蕉视频直播� to comment on anything that is before the courts. 香蕉视频直播淚n Canada, you know, you香蕉视频直播檙e innocent until proven guilty,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Sukhi Sandhu, organizer of Wake Up Surrey, a grassroots group trying to curb gang violence, called this recent development 香蕉视频直播渏ust another layer of the dysfunction that has been going on for the last three, four years in our city.

City hall, he said, 香蕉视频直播渉as become a mess香蕉视频直播� and a 香蕉视频直播渓aughing stock.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 time for the silent majority to stand up and say 香蕉视频直播榚nough is enough,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� Sandhu said.

Coun. Laurie Guerra, also of the SSC, said Friday she 香蕉视频直播渨on香蕉视频直播檛 be commenting now or ever on an ongoing investigation.

香蕉视频直播淚 believe in the rule of law where people are innocent until proven guilty,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Last May, Cloverdale resident Darlene Bennett, whose husband Paul was murdered in a case of what police believe was mistaken identity in 2018, filed a petition with Elections BC seeking a binding referendum vote on whether the Surrey Police Service should replace the Surrey RCMP

In June, Elections BC gave Bennett香蕉视频直播檚 application the go-ahead, requiring the campaign to submit a required number of petition signatures by Nov. 15. Not long after that, Locke threw her hat in the ring to compete against McCallum for the mayor香蕉视频直播檚 chair in the 2022 civic election, and marked the occasion by vowing to slam the brakes on the policing transition if she is elected with a healthy backing on council.

Elections BC announced in November that Bennett香蕉视频直播檚 initiative petition calling for a referendum had failed despite campaigners turning in 42,492 signatures 香蕉视频直播� just 2,266 shy of the 45,564 votes McCallum received in the 2018 civic election.

On Friday, the group behind the campaign, Surrey Police Vote, also called on the mayor to step down from the police board and recuse himself from 香蕉视频直播渁ny city council decisions or votes on policing issues香蕉视频直播� until the court renders its verdict.

香蕉视频直播淢ayor McCallum intentionally tried to stop our Initiative petition process on this and several other occasions, including sending by-laws officers to fine volunteers collecting signatures in public parks, because he is terrified at the prospect of a democratic referendum voting down the expensive and unnecessary Surrey Police Service,香蕉视频直播� campaign strategist Bill Tieleman said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 time for the province to now listen to the 42,942 Surrey voters who signed our petition in just 90 days despite significant obstacles, and call a referendum on policing.香蕉视频直播�

Melissa Granum, executive director of the Surrey Police Board, issued a statement on behalf of the board Friday that in accordance with B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 Police Act its chairman must be the mayor, who has a non-voting role except to break a tie. She said the board is independent from its chairman and that the Surrey Police Service 香蕉视频直播渨ill continue to move forward, completing all requirements to become police of jurisdiction under the oversight of the independent civilian police board.

香蕉视频直播淭he board cannot comment further on this matter,香蕉视频直播� the statement reads.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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