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Letter: RCMP connections cast doubt on Surrey decision-makers

It's past time for a decision on Surrey police transition, this writer says.
surreypolice
One of the many problems facing the Surrey police transition is the fact that so many decision-makers have connections with the RCMP, this criminologist writes.

Editor:

Re: Surrey police transition ‘recommendation’ raising more questions for a decision

One of the major problems we have faced in the Surrey policing transition since the last civic election has been that too many people making decisions, or holding positions of influence, have close connections with the RCMP.

During the campaign Mayor Locke’s party worked closely with Keep the RCMP in Surrey (KTRIS), appearing at events together and sharing social media posts positively, a relationship so cozy that the campaign manager for another party accused them of breaking third-party election laws.

Only this week the city’s ethics commissioner announced grounds to investigate the fact that Councillor Rob Stutt, a former RCMP officer, voted to end the transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service while his son is employed by the Surrey RCMP and his daughter is assigned to the RCMP from the city.

We need to bear this in mind when assessing comments from South Surrey-White Rock MLA Elenore Sturko opposing the transition and arguing for maintaining the RCMP. While the article does not state it, MLA Sturko was a longtime Surrey RCMP officer, including time as their spokesperson.

It is past time for a decision. One that is not further skewed by former members turned politicians.

Jeff Shantz, department of criminology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University