Surrey police say province denied request to delay RCMP transition

Surrey Police chief Norm Lipinski says the B.C. government denied a request to postpone the transition from the RCMP; the province says the takeover of Cloverdale (District 4) will proceed on April 1 and discussions between the parties are ongoing.

Surrey Police chief Norm Lipinski said the province denied his service's request to delay its planned takeover of Cloverdale from the RCMP. The Surrey Police Service had proposed a staged transition and asked for a four-month postponement, citing staffing pressures linked to ongoing extortion investigations. Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger said the province's analysis shows readiness for the District 4 transition and that the RCMP will remain engaged as the change proceeds. Key points: - The Surrey Police Service requested a four-month delay, citing reduced staffing capacity while investigators work on extortion files. - The province notified SPS it will assume responsibility for all of Cloverdale on April 1. - Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger said the director of policing's review supports moving forward and that the RCMP will continue to be involved during the transition. - Discussions among the province, the Surrey Police Board, police unions and legal counsel are ongoing. Summary: The immediate effect is that the Surrey Police Service is scheduled to take over policing in Cloverdale on April 1 as directed by the province. Further discussions are ongoing and whether timelines will change remains undetermined at this time.