Surrey police chief wants audit of city's 'inflated and mischaracterized' costings

The chief of the municipal police service in Surrey, B.C., is calling for an independent audit of the city's costings for its policing transition, saying he's concerned they've been "inflated and mischaracterized'' to target the fledgling force.

The city's draft five-year budget, released Saturday, says more than half of a proposed 9.5 per cent property tax increase for 2023 will go toward costs associated with the transition, which involves a reversal of plans by the former mayor and council to replace the RCMP with the Surrey Police Service.

The budget relies on a presumption that the city will retain the RCMP as the police force of jurisdiction, and says a shortfall of $116.6 million is the result of what Mayor Brenda Locke calls a `"misguided experiment'' to change policing in Surrey.

Surrey Police Chief Constable Norm Lipinski says he's worried the city is depicting its numbers in a way that calls into question the viability of the municipal force.

He says Surrey residents "don't know who to believe'' and he doesn't blame them.

Lipinski says in a statement the Surrey Police Service would support an independent audit involving the municipal force, the city, and the RCMP, to ensure taxpayers `"get the clarity they deserve on the policing transition.''

Speaking to CBC Radio Tuesday morning, Locke said an independent audit of its books already exists.

"All of these numbers have gone to Victoria, so the people in Victoria are reviewing our numbers," Locke said.

Decision coming late May or June

The British Columbia government will hand down its decision on which force will police the City of Surrey before spring, but the public safety minister says no matter what the answer, local taxpayers will fund the changes.

Mike Farnworth says he expects a decision from his ministry on either returning to the RCMP or staying with the Surrey police transition before property tax notices are mailed to residents in late May or early June.

Locke was elected last fall on a promise to transition Surrey back to the RCMP after the former city council began the transition to an independent police service.

The B.C. government approved the first transition to the police service and must do the same for the move back to the RCMP, in a decision that Farnworth has said is to ensure that there is a safe plan for effective policing throughout the region, not just Surrey.

Farnworth says any costs associated with Surrey's decision to reverse course on its policing provider will be left for the city to fund.