Communication breakdown: Surrey's mayor seeks briefings and crime stats from police chief
Locke writes Lipinski, but Police Board chair responds instead.
More than seven months ago, the NDP government got its wish when the Surrey Police Service (SPS) took over command from the Surrey RCMP.
A pre-election, non-disclosure agreement demanded by then-Solicitor General Mike Farnworth effectively ended Mayor Brenda Locke’s opposition to the costly, new municipal force.
Now Locke is demanding what most municipal mayors get: regular communications from the police department, including meetings with the chief, crime statistics reports and immediate notification of major incidents.
That is what appears in Locke’s extraordinary, June 19 letter to SPS Chief Norm Lipinski. (See below.)
It took five days for a reply, but it did not come from Lipinski. Instead, Surrey Police Board Chair Harley Chappell said in the June 24 letter that the board would “explore” how to address Locke’s concerns. (At bottom.)
The matter is expected to be discussed at the July 16 Surrey Police Board meeting.
