The implications of the pilfering of police officers by the new Surrey Police Service is already being felt financially by other cities.
That’s according to a recent letter to Delta Mayor George Harvie, who also chairs the Delta Police Board, from National Police Federation (NPF) president Brian Sauvé.
He warned Surrey’s transition from the RCMP is creating a broad risk to community safety and increasing costs at a time when all levels of government are experiencing unprecedented financial and community safety pressures.
Reiterating his call for Surrey to conduct a full feasibility study, Sauvé wrote there needs to be a thorough review and consideration of all potential risks and implications to other municipalities.
“This transition has increased police recruitment and retention pressures on your municipality and thereby worsened the existing shortage of officers. The report on the Surrey Police transition relied heavily on the notion that Surrey RCMP members would “patch-over” to the new force. RCMP management indicated very early on to the City of Surrey that less than 14 per cent of serving Surrey RCMP members were even interested in transitioning,” noted Sauvé.
It has resulted in the Surrey Police Service poaching trained officers from jurisdictions outside of Surrey to such an extent that the province has stepped in and capped the new police force’s hiring in 2022.
Saying it is time to halt the transition until all costs and all potential implications for municipalities are shared, Sauvé also noted others should not have to bear the costs of the Surrey transition or operation.
“Municipal counterparts should be consulted and have a say on the increased costs they are being forced to absorb, not to mention the police shortage they may face due to SPS recruiting. B.C. and
Lower Mainland area municipalities are and will continue to be impacted both directly and indirectly by the SPS and deserve to have been included in all consultation phases, including current and future planning of risk impacts of the SPS,” he added.
The NPF represents about 20,000 RCMP members across Canada.
Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord discussed the concern about losing officers during a recent virtual town hall meeting with Harvie, saying other police departments are themselves also competing with each other for the same pool of officers.
“So, as they build on their march to 800 members or so, we’re going to see transitions of police officers throughout the Lower Mainland to the Surrey Police Service,” said Dubord. “We’re working hard in Delta to try and ensure we provide the environment for our police officers that they enjoy their work and they continue to develop professionally and that they contribute to the community in a meaningful way.
“We do have a different way of policing here in Delta. They have an ability to connect with the community in a more meaningful way and that’s important that we find in many of the officers we hire and many of them come from this community and want to serve back within their community, and that’s very helpful.”
The City of Delta and the police department are already preparing for the potential costs associated with recruitment as well as having to pay additional overtime.
The city’s recently approved operating budget for next year includes the transfer of $500,000 of surplus to the Emergency Services Reserve to be used, if needed, for recruiting, professional development and retention activities.
A Vancouver Police Department report to the Vancouver Police Board notes the surrey force is creating a significant demand on police human resources directly affecting the VPD and other municipal agencies.
The report notes that all police departments are ultimately competing for the same limited pool of recruit applicants and training space at the Justice Institute of BC.
