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Surrey's police chief set to retire

Fraser MacRae has been officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP since 2004.
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Surrey RCMP Officer in Charge Fraser MacRae has announced his retirement.

Surrey's chief of police has announced his retirement.

Fraser MacRae, Officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP announced Tuesday he will be leaving his post effective June 1.

MacRae, also Assistant Commissioner, is an extremely well-respected leader among the RCMP, as well as within the community and city council.

Among the rank and file of the RCMP, he's described as an "inspiring leader," whose open-door policy wasn't just words.

Any problem, professional or personal, MacRae always had good advice for the cops under his watch.

And being the third generation of law enforcement in his family, he knew his policing.

"He's the smartest police officer I've ever worked with in my career," said one officer.

At city hall, he is also considered highly.

“He is a leader in every sense of the word, and he will be greatly missed,”  said Mayor Dianne Watts.  “Fraser pioneered innovative solutions to crime reduction, has empowered the people around him, and has always been willing to collaborate and engage the community in a meaningful way in order to help reduce crime and increase safety in Surrey.”

MacRae was known for making personal appearances at most nieghbourhood events, and spending a lot of time working with community organizations in problem solving.

Bonnie Burnside, Manager of Special Events and Communications for the Downtown Surrey Business Improvement Association said the news represents a tremendous loss.

"Fraser MacRae has been such a wonderful person to work with," Burnside said. "He was just so responsive to our needs. I'm going to miss him."

Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, echoed Burnside's sentiments.

"We're just so sad to hear that he's retiring," Huberman said. "I've worked with, previous to him, two other chiefs and I would say that he is the one that has really made a difference to Surrey, working collaboratively with stakeholders. He's always there, for the Surrey Board of Trade and the business community."

MacRae has been the head of the Surrey detachment since 2004, leading a team of 661 officers and more than 250 support staff.

In 2010, he was awarded the Order of Merit medal from the Governor General of Canada.

He is retiring with 35 years service with the force.

MacRae will assist in the selection process for the new Officer in Charge of the Surrey RCMP.

@diakiw