As announced this past summer, the first group of Surrey Police Service (SPS) officers will begin deployment into the Surrey Municipal Police Unit (within the Surrey RCMP) soon. This will be the first step in the phased, integrated transition process that is being managed by the Surrey Policing Transition Trilateral Committee.
The fifty SPS police officers in this first cohort bring an average of eight years of policing experience to Surrey. They have all been fully trained and security cleared to municipal policing standards with full access to required police systems. The deployment of this first cohort will be staggered over a number of weeks to allow for a seamless and safe integration for the RCMP, SPS and the public.
During the early phases of the policing transition, the RCMP will remain the police agency of jurisdiction in Surrey. Surrey residents will not see any significant changes during the early stages, other than spotting some new uniforms in the community.
FURTHER READING: Surrey Police Service prepares for initial deployment
The SPS uniform was unveiled recently and will be worn by the officers who will be policing alongside Surrey RCMP officers. The uniform, fit and materials were selected based on durability, comfort, and functionality, as well as feedback from our experienced police officers. Employee wellness is a priority for SPS, and that extends to the uniform and equipment selected for their officers.
SPS continues to follow the critical path that was developed by the Surrey Policing Transition Trilateral Committee, made up of representatives from the federal, provincial and municipal governments. The transition partners have been collaborating for over a year to bring together detailed work plans to implement this transition.
The deployment this fall will mark the official beginning of Surrey’s policing transition. There will be more deployments throughout 2022 and 2023 as the transition progresses.
Surrey citizens can stay up to date on the policing transition by visiting the “Transition” page on the Surrey Police Service website: www.surreypolice.ca/about/policing-transition.
