Most Surrey residents want new police force put on hold, poll shows

The majority of Surrey residents say now’s not the time to sink money into a new police force, according to a new poll.

In the poll commissioned by the National Police Federation, which represents RCMP members, 83 per cent of respondents said their tax dollars should not be put into transitioning to a new police force, while the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Surrey residents have made their priorities clear, focusing on the need for core services and support for those who have been impacted by this pandemic,” said NPF president Brian Sauvé.

Sauvé’s organization represents 20,000 RCMP members across the country. “People are clearly telling us this is not the right time for this policing transition plan.”

Ninety per cent also feel Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum and city council should “take a step back to evaluate their spending plans” and refocus on residents’ most urgent priorities.

Only 16 per cent say replacing the Surrey RCMP with a municipal police force should be a priority at this time.

Meanwhile, support for McCallum’s plan has also dropped since the beginning of the year. In January, 48 per cent said they supported the mayor’s plan to usher in a new police force; that figure has since dropped to 31 per cent last month.

Meanwhile, opposition to the plan has increased from 46 per cent to 60 per cent over the same period.

“COVID-19 has shown how important it is to have dedicated and experienced emergency responders who know their communities,” said Sauvé.

“Now is not the time for a disruptive change in policing. We encourage city council to rethink this plan and focus on the health and safety of people and their communities.”

The survey was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights and surveyed a randomly selected group of 803 Surrey residents between April 17 and 27. The National Police Federation represents 20,000 RCMP members across the country.