‘This is not who we are as a city’: Surrey’s top cop tries to ease safety concerns

SURREY (NEWS 1130) –  Surrey’s Officer in Charge has written an open letter to people in the city, in the wake of homicides and gun violence in recent weeks.

Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald wants people in Surrey to “rest assured” that their safety is their top priority.

“There is no doubt that these are challenging times for Surrey,” he writes.

McDonald says the force, alongside the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC) is “working non-stop” to find those responsible.

“This is not who we are as a City. As your police chief I am committed and determined to doing everything I can to stop the continuation of this violence. Surrey is a dynamic, growing city that has smart, talented youth and caring community members. We should not let our city become defined by the senseless actions of a few,” writes McDonald.

“When violence hits our community, the efforts and performance of police are often called into question. As your police chief I fully accept this. The Surrey RCMP is transparent and accountable to you, the residents of this city,” he adds.


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McDonald stands by the city’s policing model and commends the work being done by his officers and the municipal support staff.

“They do an exceptional job day in and day out, often placing their lives at risk in order to serve and protect. They care about this community and keeping Surrey residents safe. Not only are we your police force, but we are also your neighbours. A large number of our police officers live in Surrey and spend a significant portion of their policing careers here. We coach your children, volunteer at your schools, attend your places of worship and, like you, take any violence in this city personally. We are committed to working tirelessly on these issues and will not stop until they are resolved.”

He admits in the past four years, gang violence has become a major concern in the community. He says the force has responded by expanding its gang enforcement team and RCMP-led youth initiatives.

McDonald says a joint letter from Surrey RCMP and the Surrey School District was sent home to parents this week, discussing how they engage with students throughout the year, adding they can continue to stay in touch with the Mounties over the summer.

“This issue of gang and gun violence is playing out across the Lower Mainland however, as a city with a large youth population, Surrey is a target for those looking to lure young people into the drug trade. Combatting this issue is my top priority.”

He adds their long-term strategy is preventing young people from getting into a life of crime in the first place. “Promote positive choices for kids at a young age and provide accessible support and guidance to parents. We will also continue to conduct high quality investigations to ensure that criminals, once caught, go to jail.”

‘Surrey deserves better’: community group wants action

While he’s appreciative of the work police officers do within his community, Doug Elford, the council candidate with the Surrey Community Alliance Voter’s association, says more needs to be done.

“My first reaction was that maybe that this message should have come from our mayor, our elected official,” he tells NEWS 1130. “Not the officer in charge. I though that that would be more appropriate for the mayor to stand up and reassure the community through a letter in these kinds of circumstances.”

Elford says his first thought was that the letter was “damage control,” and that the RCMP is reacting to a community that’s angry. However, he adds the contents of the letter aren’t all new.

“We want to see action, we don’t want to hear talk. We’ve had these promises made in the past. We’ve had these assurances from elected officials, the RCMP. We’ve had task forces, we’ve had studies, we’ve had reports. And we continue to endure the same problems. We really need action, and that is going to be what the community wants… Surrey deserves better.”

He believes it would be worth taking a look at current programs and identifying what’s not working to help bring on a change.

“And also considering taking a look at different models, how we police ourselves. Where they get their instructions from, how much input does the council have into how we police our community, particularly how unique our community it.
These are things that we have to have a look at. It’s the model, how we model our policing, how we go about doing our daily business. That’s something that should be considered as well.”

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko says she understands people’s frustration with the recent violent crime, but adds the force is also feeling the impacts.

“As a police force we are also frustrated, we want to continue to work on this. We are committed to doing so. Hearing that people are feeling cynical and feeling frustrated is of course natural in this kind of circumstance, but we do want to express that we are deeply concerned along with our community.”

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