SURREY, BC – In a letter released today, National Police Federation (NPF) President Brian Sauvé is calling on the Surrey Police Board to halt the rushed search for a Chief Constable, citing the woefully inadequate process that is underway. Sauvé says that when compared with the recruitment efforts of major cities around Canada, Surrey’s process is seriously lacking.
“This is just the latest example of how Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum is not taking this transition seriously, which should give the new Police Board he also chairs and all members of the community serious cause for concern,” said Sauvé. “The Mayor’s words about building a modern urban police force ring completely hollow when you compare their process with what is being done in cities like Toronto.”
Earlier this summer, the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB) announced a new comprehensive process for replacing outgoing Chief Mark Saunders. In a release, the TPSB noted the heightened engagement around policing issues, and a commitment to undertake a comprehensive public consultation process to engage diverse voices in the process.
Surrey, on the other hand, announced their search for a Chief Constable commenced on August 13 and closes today, August 28 at 4 p.m. – a two-week window with no public consultation or input. Even the report of the Provincial Municipal Policing Transition Study Committee (December 2019 Oppal Report, p. 70-71) considers a lengthy period of several months for the recruitment and selection of a Chief Constable.
“While Toronto’s Police Board is moving forward with a comprehensive selection process that engages key audiences and is worthy of a modern Canadian city, Surrey’s Mayor appears prepared to coronate someone he pre-selected without consulting a single member of the community,” added Sauvé. “The ~850 Members we represent in Surrey and the community they serve deserve much better than a sham process for an incredibly important position at a time when policing issues have never been more in focus.”
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019. The NPF is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada, the second-largest in North America and is the first independent national association to represent RCMP Members. The NPF will focus on improving public safety in Canada by negotiating the first-ever Collective Agreement for RCMP officers, and on increasing resources, equipment, training and supports for our Members who have been underfunded for far too long. Better resourcing and support for the RCMP will enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, all across Canada.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com
Media contact:
Brian Sauvé
President
National Police Federation
media@npf-fpn.com
T: 604-861-2684