Monday, January 28, 2019

Oppose the Surrey Board of Trade’s Promotion of Policing in Surrey. Jan. 29.


Anti-Police Power Surrey calls on people to come out to challenge the Surrey Board to Trade’s framing of policing options in Surrey as either RCMP or a municipal force. Meet at 7: 00 AM at Civic Plaza, outside the Civic Hotel, 13475 Central Avenue, Surrey.

We do not need more or different police in Surrey. We need more community resources, supports, and services. And not police.


On January 29, 2019, the SBT is holding a “Dialogue” event on “RCMP or Municipal Force.” The event description says:

“Participate in the Surrey Hot Topic Dialogue to learn more about:

What would have better outcomes regarding public safety

The costs and benefits of a municipal police force

The costs and benefits of keeping the RCMP

Business impacts on such a change”



This is framed entirely within a policing, and business, framework rather than a framework of community supports, funding, and services. We know that in Surrey funds for police mean cuts and/or underfunding of needed community resources and services, as the recent cuts to community centers, art spaces, and an Indigenous gathering place in the new budget show.


The pro-police bias is evident in the list of panelists. They include an Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP and two Chief Constables (Vancouver and West Vancouver forces) long with a police friendly instructor from KPU. From the SBT event page:


Panelists for the January 29 RCMP dialogue are:

Fraser MacRae, former Assistant Commissioner of the Surrey RCMP

Kash Heed, former MLA and Chief Constable of West Vancouver P.D.

Bob Rolls, former Deputy Chief Constable of Vancouver Police Department

Mike Larsen, Kwantlen Polytechnic University Criminology Department Chair



Show up and let them know that we need more community resources, not more cops and cop funding.

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