Surrey confirms no new RCMP officers deployed, despite feds’ announcement
Posted June 18, 2015 11:42 am.
Last Updated June 18, 2015 2:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – It was a week ago that the federal public safety minister announced that the first 20 of the 100 new RCMP officers approved for Surrey were already in place, but it turns out that isn’t true.
No new officers have been added to the force since April.
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney rose in the House of Commons last Thursday to say that the first 20 of the 100 RCMP members approved to help Surrey handle a rise in drug-related crime had already been deployed.
Blaney said in a statement “Today, I am pleased to announce that the deployment of the first 20 members committed to Surrey is underway and that boots are already on the ground. I have made it a priority to ensure that Surrey would receive the RCMP members that they had requested. The Harper Government will continue to work hard to ensure that the streets of Surrey and communities across the country are safe.”
But a check with the City of Surrey finds there are 703 officers working in Surrey; the number has not changed, despite the public safety minister’s announcement.
Surrey North MP Jasbir Sandhu used Question Period back in April as his opportunity to call on the federal government to increase anti-gang funding for Surrey.
He accuses the Conservatives of playing politics with the safety of people in Surrey. “That’s not acceptable at all to anybody in Surrey or, for that matter, [any] Canadians.”
“I know the election is coming up and that may be the reason they’re saying that boots are on the ground, but I hope they’re not playing politics because this is serious stuff. We have had ongoing shootings. Over 36 shootings since March and that is not acceptable.”
Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner confirms the number of Surrey RCMP officers has not changed with the announcement. She says 30 new officers have been added since March, but those officers are not part of the 100 officers approved to help combat this violence linked to the low-level drug trade.
“There are preparations underway to have those positions filled through transfers, promotions and new recruits, but my number sits currently today at 703.”
Hepner is confident the federal commitment of 100 new officers will be filled within a year’s time.
NEWS 1130 has reached out to Minister Blaney to ask why the announcement was made when no new officers are working in Surrey. We have not heard back.
