Officers with the Surrey Police Service have received the nod from the provincial government to take their policing oath under Section 70 of the Police Act.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place this month, but a date has yet to be set, Ian MacDonald said. He’s the spokesman for the SPS, which is being formed to replace the Surrey RCMP.
Chief Constable Norm Lipinski said it’s an “important milestone” for both the SPS and City of Surrey.
“We look forward to this first ceremony and many more to come as we build Surrey’s new municipal police service,” Lipinski said. “I am incredibly proud of our team and I thank these distinguished officers and civilian employees who are choosing to serve the citizens of Surrey in support of public safety.”
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MacDonald noted that by getting sworn in, SPS officers can carry out administrative duties required by law for the police force to become operational. “This includes enabling some SPS officers to be operationally deployed once the timeline is approved,” he said.
The SPS received approval to take the oath on June 28 from the Policing and Security Branch of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
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