Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says she refuses to take marching orders from a bureaucrat in Victoria after the province香蕉视频直播檚 director of police services fired off a 香蕉视频直播渞ude香蕉视频直播� letter to her on Oct. 4 protesting that a lack of leadership and engagement at Surrey City Hall is causing concerning delays to the city香蕉视频直播檚 policing transition.
香蕉视频直播淭he letter was disappointing but it香蕉视频直播檚 inaccurate and it香蕉视频直播檚 obviously trying to point blame but it香蕉视频直播檚 completely inaccurate, his statements are completely inaccurate, he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 know the picture on the ground and I guess the other piece is I have no idea why Glen Lewis would be writing me,香蕉视频直播� Locke told the Now-Leader Tuesday (Oct. 10).
香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 a bureaucrat, he should be writing bureaucrats. If the minister wants to say something to us he香蕉视频直播檚 welcome to say something but it香蕉视频直播檚 a little off protocol for a bureaucrat to be writing.香蕉视频直播�
Assistant Deputy Minister Glen Lewis in his Oct. 4 letter to Locke lists 香蕉视频直播渟ignificant香蕉视频直播� work that has been taken at senior levels of government since the city was advised in July that it must continue its transition to the Surrey Police Service, but says little has been done at the municipal level.
香蕉视频直播淚t is my observation that this lack of progress and delay is due in large part to a lack of leadership and engagement by City Council and City staff,香蕉视频直播� Lewis, also director of police services, writes.
香蕉视频直播淚n my view, City staff have been only minimally engaged in select aspects of this work to date and are seemingly constrained by a lack of clear direction from the Mayor and Council to progress the transition.香蕉视频直播�
City staff 香蕉视频直播渃onsistently state to its partners that they are instructed not to engage meaningfully in any work香蕉视频直播� on the transition until council directs them to, Lewis adds.
Lewis in his letter to Locke writes 香蕉视频直播淚 strongly urge that the City rectify these matters forthwith and assume the leadership required to carry out its transition. To this end, I request a report back on the remedy of these items, in writing, from the City by the end of business day, October 13, 2023.香蕉视频直播�
This rankles Locke. 香蕉视频直播淗e picks a short week, first of all, so he gives us basically five business days to respond to something that香蕉视频直播檇 they香蕉视频直播檝e taken literally almost, what, eight, nine months to come to a conclusion on,香蕉视频直播� she replied. 香蕉视频直播淚 think it香蕉视频直播檚 rude and as I said, he香蕉视频直播檚 a bureaucrat, he香蕉视频直播檚 not going to instruct the mayor of a city what to do. I香蕉视频直播檓 certainly not going to jump for a bureaucrat in Victoria.香蕉视频直播�
Last month, following questions to SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski and Surrey RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, Locke said the 香蕉视频直播渓eadership ball香蕉视频直播� was in the province香蕉视频直播檚 court and that the province 香蕉视频直播渘eeds to make sure香蕉视频直播� that there is a path forward.香蕉视频直播�
READ MORE:
香蕉视频直播淭his council has done everything asked of us and within our authority to follow through on our obligation to determine the policing model for our city,香蕉视频直播� Locke said at the time. 香蕉视频直播淢uch of the issues that we are dealing with are provincial and federal issues and that has become a lot of the stall.香蕉视频直播�
A corporate report that came before council Sept. 11 concluded that although Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth had directed Surrey to forge ahead with the SPS, 香蕉视频直播渙utstanding challenges remain香蕉视频直播� and development of a 香蕉视频直播渃omprehensive framework and planning documents is necessary for any transition to SPS.香蕉视频直播�
Farnworth ordered city council on July 19, 2023 to carry on with the transition to the SPS from the Surrey RCMP, despite council having voted 5-4 in November 2022 to maintain the Mounties as the city香蕉视频直播檚 police of jurisdiction.
READ MORE:
Locke and her Surrey Connect five-member majority campaigned on keeping the RCMP.
Other claims Lewis made in his letter include:
香蕉视频直播� Cost-increase concerns expressed by Locke to Premier David Eby 香蕉视频直播渕ay be inaccurate and/or misrepresented.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播� The city failed to rectify its budget for the SPS following Farnworth香蕉视频直播檚 July decision (in March 2023, the city allocated just $49 million to the first two quarters of the fiscal year, despite a 2023 provisional budget of approximately $160 million submitted by the Surrey Police Board last fall).
香蕉视频直播� While Locke has 香蕉视频直播渟tated publicly to the media香蕉视频直播� that she had no input on formal terms of reference for the independent facilitator who was appointed to help facilitate the transition process, as of the letter香蕉视频直播檚 date, she did not take opportunities that were provided to do so.
READ MORE:
Meantime, Surrey First Coun. Linda Annis issued a press release Oct. 6 suggesting Lewis香蕉视频直播檚 letter also reinforces that 香蕉视频直播減olitical ego香蕉视频直播� is playing a role in stalling the policing transition.
香蕉视频直播淐learly, just like local taxpayers, the provincial government has had enough of the political foot dragging from Mayor Locke,香蕉视频直播� Annis says, noting the inaction is costing taxpayers an extra $8 million per month, through having to pay for two police forces at the same time.
香蕉视频直播淭he decision to move forward with the transition to the SPS has been made, and regardless of how Brenda Locke feels about it, she has a responsibility to get on with it. Instead, we are seeing a serious and calculated lack of progress that has its roots in political ego rather than doing what香蕉视频直播檚 good for Surrey.香蕉视频直播�
Also last week, Safe Surrey Coalition councillors Doug Elford and Mandeep Nagra issued a press release attacking Locke.
香蕉视频直播淢ayor Locke香蕉视频直播檚 leadership has been marred by inaction and a lack of clear direction. We can no longer accept excuses for the delays she has caused. It香蕉视频直播檚 time for her to step up or step aside,香蕉视频直播� Elford says.
Nagra echoed him.
香蕉视频直播淲e understand the complexities of the transition, but Mayor Locke香蕉视频直播檚 shocking refusal to meet with Public Safety staff to discuss Minister Mike Farnworth香蕉视频直播檚 offer of $150 million in provincial cash to help with the transition is inexcusable,香蕉视频直播� Nagra charged.
In reply to Annis, Elford and Nagra, Locke said the 香蕉视频直播渓evel of disrespect they have shown towards not only me but to council is enormous but I香蕉视频直播檓 not going to respond to their comments, it香蕉视频直播檚 all just political. I wish they spent more time trying to be ambassadors for this city, not constantly acting the way they do, but they choose to.香蕉视频直播�
Meanwhile, Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman sent a letter to Farnworth on Oct. 4 concerning local businesses being saddled with a bigger tax bill in 2024 on account of two police forces operating in the city with no second-phase plan for replacing the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service.
Huberman also charged that since Jessica MacDonald was appointed as the liaison between the Provincial Government and the City of Surrey in the summer, 香蕉视频直播渘o public comments or materials have been released highlighting the work done thus far. We are deeply concerned with the lack of transparency and communication.香蕉视频直播�
On that, Locke said she last met with MacDonald in August. 香蕉视频直播淚 believe she香蕉视频直播檚 talked with some of the staff here but she hasn香蕉视频直播檛 provided us with, at least that I know of, anything concrete so I香蕉视频直播檓 not sure, but I do understand what the Surrey Board of Trade and Anita is talking about, and I香蕉视频直播檓 concerned about it too. There is no question that the predicament that the minister has put the City of Surrey in is a very, very costly one and he may be doing it for the balance of the province, but for the City of Surrey, his decision is going to cost our residents significantly and all our taxpayers, including our business community.香蕉视频直播�
Locke has on occasion complained that Farnworth isn香蕉视频直播檛 contacting her personally. She said she last received a letter from him in mid-September. 香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 finally admitting he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have a plan so fair enough, but somehow he wants us to create the plan and that香蕉视频直播檚 difficult,香蕉视频直播� Locke said Oct. 10.
香蕉视频直播淚 find it interesting they had been saying well there is a plan, we kept talking about it and now he香蕉视频直播檚 saying there isn香蕉视频直播檛 a plan, we need you to create the plan. Well, we have a plan 香蕉视频直播� our plan was to keep the RCMP and he said our vision isn香蕉视频直播檛 his vision so he needs to share his vision.
香蕉视频直播淚t seems to me Victoria has a pretty tough time picking up the phone,香蕉视频直播� Locke said. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 know why they don香蕉视频直播檛 have the courtesy of talking to a duly elected mayor and council. I don香蕉视频直播檛 understand it. It香蕉视频直播檚 surprising, the behaviour is very surprising.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播� with files from Tracy Holmes.
