Editor:
Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth has done Surrey a grave disservice by allowing Mayor McCallum to go ahead with “his” police force. Mr. McCallum stated that he was elected because “the people” of Surrey wanted their own police force. Mr. McCallum may have got more votes than the next candidate, but only a small percentage of the overall votes. Therefore the majority of Surrey did not want him or “his” police force.
Mr. McCallum stated that the people wanted a “safe Surrey.” How can it be any safer than it is with less officers doing the job? Mr. McCallum will also be cutting the number of officers trained in mental health issues.
We need more officers all round, not less.
I have a number of questions for Min. Farnworth:
• Who is going to foot the bill to recruit, train and outfit these officers?
• Who is going to foot the bill to buy, paint and equip the cars needed?
• What about the insurance for these cars? Obviously it will be provincial insurance, thus being ICBC. That will not be cheap insurance. Who is going to foot the bill for that?
• Who will be responsible for choosing the new officers and what will the “make up” of the force be?
• Who is going to train these new officers?
• Why does Surrey need its own force? Are the RCMP doing a bad job? What is the benefit of having one’s own police force? None that I can see. I have lived in Surrey for most of my 68 years – and now live in White Rock – and found the RCMP to do their job, providing a safe and efficient service for the inadequate number of officers that they have. I am also in health care and have seen first hand their handling of mental health issues, which will be sorely lacking if Surrey gets their own force.
No police force, no matter who they are, will be 100 per cent efficient as people in the communities are unpredictable.
Adelle Broddle, White Rock
