SAFE Surrey Coalition mayoral candidate Doug McCallum on Friday accused mayoral candidate Tom Gill and Surrey First for “once again … intentionally confusing the policing issue and attempting to fool the public.”

McCallum said in a statement: “Starting more ad hoc committees, with no legislative power or authority over the federal RCMP police, has not worked before and it will not work in the future. Surrey does not need more friends of Tom Gill sitting on committees pretending to do something for the people of Surrey.
“Only a municipal policing structure like Vancouver, Victoria, West Vancouver, Abbotsford, New Westminster and many more will work for our city.
“The RCMP federal policing system does not work for a large city. No committee or oversight board or governance model can change the fact the RCMP are federal employees who have their headquarters and command staff in Ottawa.”
McCallum pointed out: “All major decisions impacting the Surrey RCMP are made in Ottawa, no committee can change this. We need to change our policing system to a municipal one with a legislated police board that will be mandated by Surrey and the Province to hold police accountable in real terms.
“The municipal model of policing is proven in Vancouver and all other large Canadian city police departments. Once again, Tom Gill and Surrey First are trying to give us second class solutions.”
McCallum reiterated: “On Day #1 the Safe Surrey Coalition will start the process towards Surrey’s own Police Department, with a Chief of Police, a Police Board and real accountability to the taxpayers.
“Surrey’s police department will be responsive, nimble, use the best technology, the best evidence-based solutions and be community engaged to stop the violence in our streets. Our Surrey City Police Department will be made of woman and men who are proud to live in our community and proud to call Surrey their home.”