Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says she refuses to take marching orders from a bureaucrat in Victoria after the province含羞草研究社檚 director of police services fired off a 含羞草研究社渞ude含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 policing transition.

含羞草研究社淭he letter was disappointing but it含羞草研究社檚 inaccurate and it含羞草研究社檚 obviously trying to point blame but it含羞草研究社檚 completely inaccurate, his statements are completely inaccurate, he doesn含羞草研究社檛 know the picture on the ground and I guess the other piece is I have no idea why Glen Lewis would be writing me,含羞草研究社� Locke told the Now-Leader Tuesday (Oct. 10).

含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 a bureaucrat, he should be writing bureaucrats. If the minister wants to say something to us he含羞草研究社檚 welcome to say something but it含羞草研究社檚 a little off protocol for a bureaucrat to be writing.含羞草研究社�

Assistant Deputy Minister Glen Lewis in his Oct. 4 letter to Locke lists 含羞草研究社渟ignificant含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淚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,含羞草研究社� Lewis, also director of police services, writes.

含羞草研究社淚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.含羞草研究社�

City staff 含羞草研究社渃onsistently state to its partners that they are instructed not to engage meaningfully in any work含羞草研究社� on the transition until council directs them to, Lewis adds.

Lewis in his letter to Locke writes 含羞草研究社淚 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.含羞草研究社�

This rankles Locke. 含羞草研究社淗e picks a short week, first of all, so he gives us basically five business days to respond to something that含羞草研究社檇 they含羞草研究社檝e taken literally almost, what, eight, nine months to come to a conclusion on,含羞草研究社� she replied. 含羞草研究社淚 think it含羞草研究社檚 rude and as I said, he含羞草研究社檚 a bureaucrat, he含羞草研究社檚 not going to instruct the mayor of a city what to do. I含羞草研究社檓 certainly not going to jump for a bureaucrat in Victoria.含羞草研究社�

Last month, following questions to SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski and Surrey RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, Locke said the 含羞草研究社渓eadership ball含羞草研究社� was in the province含羞草研究社檚 court and that the province 含羞草研究社渘eeds to make sure含羞草研究社� that there is a path forward.含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社淭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,含羞草研究社� Locke said at the time. 含羞草研究社淢uch of the issues that we are dealing with are provincial and federal issues and that has become a lot of the stall.含羞草研究社�

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, 含羞草研究社渙utstanding challenges remain含羞草研究社� and development of a 含羞草研究社渃omprehensive framework and planning documents is necessary for any transition to SPS.含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社檚 police of jurisdiction.

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Locke and her Surrey Connect five-member majority campaigned on keeping the RCMP.

Other claims Lewis made in his letter include:

含羞草研究社� Cost-increase concerns expressed by Locke to Premier David Eby 含羞草研究社渕ay be inaccurate and/or misrepresented.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社� The city failed to rectify its budget for the SPS following Farnworth含羞草研究社檚 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).

含羞草研究社� While Locke has 含羞草研究社渟tated publicly to the media含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 date, she did not take opportunities that were provided to do so.

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Meantime, Surrey First Coun. Linda Annis issued a press release Oct. 6 suggesting Lewis含羞草研究社檚 letter also reinforces that 含羞草研究社減olitical ego含羞草研究社� is playing a role in stalling the policing transition.

含羞草研究社淐learly, just like local taxpayers, the provincial government has had enough of the political foot dragging from Mayor Locke,含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淭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含羞草研究社檚 good for Surrey.含羞草研究社�

Also last week, Safe Surrey Coalition councillors Doug Elford and Mandeep Nagra issued a press release attacking Locke.

含羞草研究社淢ayor Locke含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 time for her to step up or step aside,含羞草研究社� Elford says.

Nagra echoed him.

含羞草研究社淲e understand the complexities of the transition, but Mayor Locke含羞草研究社檚 shocking refusal to meet with Public Safety staff to discuss Minister Mike Farnworth含羞草研究社檚 offer of $150 million in provincial cash to help with the transition is inexcusable,含羞草研究社� Nagra charged.

In reply to Annis, Elford and Nagra, Locke said the 含羞草研究社渓evel of disrespect they have shown towards not only me but to council is enormous but I含羞草研究社檓 not going to respond to their comments, it含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�

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, 含羞草研究社渘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.含羞草研究社�

On that, Locke said she last met with MacDonald in August. 含羞草研究社淚 believe she含羞草研究社檚 talked with some of the staff here but she hasn含羞草研究社檛 provided us with, at least that I know of, anything concrete so I含羞草研究社檓 not sure, but I do understand what the Surrey Board of Trade and Anita is talking about, and I含羞草研究社檓 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.含羞草研究社�

Locke has on occasion complained that Farnworth isn含羞草研究社檛 contacting her personally. She said she last received a letter from him in mid-September. 含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 finally admitting he doesn含羞草研究社檛 have a plan so fair enough, but somehow he wants us to create the plan and that含羞草研究社檚 difficult,含羞草研究社� Locke said Oct. 10.

含羞草研究社淚 find it interesting they had been saying well there is a plan, we kept talking about it and now he含羞草研究社檚 saying there isn含羞草研究社檛 a plan, we need you to create the plan. Well, we have a plan 含羞草研究社� our plan was to keep the RCMP and he said our vision isn含羞草研究社檛 his vision so he needs to share his vision.

含羞草研究社淚t seems to me Victoria has a pretty tough time picking up the phone,含羞草研究社� Locke said. 含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 know why they don含羞草研究社檛 have the courtesy of talking to a duly elected mayor and council. I don含羞草研究社檛 understand it. It含羞草研究社檚 surprising, the behaviour is very surprising.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社� with files from Tracy Holmes.