The City of Surrey understood that Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth had the power to make a decision on the future of policing in Surrey but only objected when it didn含羞草研究社檛 get its way.
含羞草研究社淚t wanted a decision approving its choice,含羞草研究社� Trevor Bant, the lawyer representing the provincial government, told the judge Friday (May 3). 含羞草研究社淭he City understood that this is not something it could do unilaterally, on its own. Both options required the involvement of other parties, and the City invoked the minister含羞草研究社檚 jurisdiction in the hope of a favourable decision that would help the City get what it wanted from other parties. So it was only after the decision went against the City that a belated objection to jurisdiction would come.含羞草研究社�
Justice Kevin Loo is presiding over the City of Surrey含羞草研究社檚 judicial review petition aimed at quashing Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth含羞草研究社檚 July 19, 2023 order that the RCMP must be replaced by the Surrey Police Service. The five-day hearing began April 29 in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver.
He reserved his decision after hearing final submissions Friday.
含羞草研究社淚 am aware of the urgency of the matter,含羞草研究社� Loo said. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檒l make no specific promises except to say that I will do my best to get you a decision as quickly as reasonably possible. In conclusion I含羞草研究社檒l just say that the excellence of counsel this week is not surprising but I含羞草研究社檓 grateful for it nonetheless and I含羞草研究社檓 thankful for your thoughtful, very considered and eloquent submissions.含羞草研究社�
Before getting into the finals, Bant said the Police Act requires the minister to ensure an adequate level of policing.
Bant said the Police Act requires the minister to ensure an adequate level of policing.
The Interpretation Act codifies the principle that if in an enactment power is given to a person 含羞草研究社渢o do an act or thing, all the powers that are necessary to enable a person to do the act or thing, are also gauged to be given,含羞草研究社� Bant noted, adding that含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁n important principle in interpreting the Police Act 含羞草研究社� any legislation, but especially in this circumstance the Police Act. And I say that the Police Act empowers the minister, requires the minister, to ensure an adequate and effective level of policing is maintained.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚t was reasonable for the minister to be concerned that the City proposed to re-staff the Surrey RCMP detachment by prioritizing Surrey含羞草研究社檚 needs over critical RCMP staffing needs in British Columbia,含羞草研究社� Bant said. 含羞草研究社淭he City含羞草研究社檚 assumption that 50 per cent 含羞草研究社� roughly half of SPS officers would want to join the RCMP, even if that assumption proved to be correct, the plan still contemplated hiring RCMP officers and putting them in Surrey when they could otherwise be deployed elsewhere to address critical vacancies within the RCMP.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚n a very direct sense, it is not the City含羞草研究社檚 concern what happens elsewhere in British Columbia,含羞草研究社� Bant stressed, 含羞草研究社渁nd if there are critical RCMP vacancies elsewhere, that含羞草研究社檚 not the City含羞草研究社檚 concern, but it is the minister含羞草研究社檚 concern.含羞草研究社�
Bant told Loo that in the lead-up to Farnworth含羞草研究社檚 order, the SPS had provided him with a submission on where the SPS hires were coming from. He said the 含羞草研究社渒ey含羞草研究社� information of that report is the SPS indicated it was implementing strategies to attract candidates from outside of British Columbia 含羞草研究社渋n an effort to support the staffing of the SPS while preventing the destabilization of other municipal departments in the Lower Mainland.含羞草研究社�
It was 含羞草研究社減articularly successful含羞草研究社� in attracting candidates from the Toronto area, the court heard.
含羞草研究社淭he information that was available to the minister at the time is that SPS was doing a great job recruiting from outside of British Columbia, especially from Toronto,含羞草研究社� Bant said. 含羞草研究社淣ow that含羞草研究社檚 perhaps a problem for Ontario, but as far as British Columbia is concerned, a really quite positive net increase in officers.含羞草研究社�
