Jeff Shantz
New Surrey Police Service Chief Constable Norm Lipinski’s announcement that a Surrey Police Foundation should be established and operated “full on” by early next year should be raising some eyebrows. Police associations in Canada have received relatively little attention, but as a developing controversy in Vancouver over a $1 million donation to the Vancouver Police Foundation for targeted policing projects shows there are reasons for residents to ask questions.
Police foundations in Canada receive donations from
“corporate partners,” including LNG Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, Enbridge,
Cenovus, and numerous real estate companies. Critics suggest this raises
prospects of conflicts of interest that could prioritize business needs over
community needs.
In Vancouver, the police foundation has paid for a patrol
boat, night-vision binoculars, a drone program, an armoured vehicle and a
$500,000 SWAT mobile command truck. Do Surrey residents really want this
militarized policing in our city? Do we really want private businesses driving
it?
In Vancouver, critics have suggested that the donation, by
property developer Peter Wall could amount to a “pay to play” arrangement,
especially given that Wall wants to see the money go to policing drug use in
the downtown eastside.
Many Surrey residents are already cynical about perceived
developer influence on city councils, over years. Right now, the city is dealing
with a controversy, and lawsuit, over just this issue. Does a corporate
partnership foundation funding police really help this perception, especially
with the concerns being raised about transparency and the police transition?
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