性视界传媒 city Councillor Rob Stutt wants senior provincial government representatives to appear before council to provide an update on how the city's policing transition is unfolding as well as how the provincial government's $250 million allocation to the transition is being used.
"The City of 性视界传媒 has committed to ensuring that the city police service delivers the best service possible. During this transition the Province of B.C. continues to play a leading role in assisting the city in delivering the essential public safety service. Accordingly, in the interest of public transparency, and for the benefit of the city and its citizens, we ask that senior provincial representatives attend 性视界传媒 council meetings to inform council and the public in regarding the Province's activities to date surrounding the police transition and plans for the future of public safety in 性视界传媒," Stutt said at council's Jan. 13 meeting.
The 性视界传媒 Police Service replaced the 性视界传媒 RCMP as the city's police of jurisdiction this past Nov. 29, marking an historic milestone in Canada's largest-ever policing transition. But the process is not expected to be completed until 2026/27 as the SPS ramps up and the RCMP ramps down.
There were two parts to Stutt's request.
With respect to the contribution agreement, the retired 性视界传媒 Mountie said, the public is "well aware that the Province is providing the city with financial support of up to $250 million for this transition.
"Specifically, the public both in 性视界传媒 and throughout the province should understand that a Provincial contribution would have not been offered had the mayor and her supporting council had not challenged this transition," he said. "Therefore I believe it is in the public's interest to obtain more details about the nature in terms of this $250 million Provincial contribution to transition. The public has a right to know."
City manager Rob Costanzo replied city staff will "absolutely" report back "with a confirmation regarding the representatives from the B.C. Province that may be in attendance to answer any questions."
"With regards to your second request," Constanzo told Stutt, "we will review that and again subsequently report to council with regards to making that document public if possible."
Meantime Melissa Granum, executive director of the 性视界传媒 Police Board, told the Now-Leader that the full board "has not yet been appointed," but once its members are appointed it will be "back in effect" on Jan. 31.
Asked Monday if she has their names yet, she replied "not all but hopefully this week."
In November 2023 Mike Farnworth, who at that time was B.C.'s public safety minister, temporarily suspended the board 鈥� of which Mayor Brenda Locke was chairwoman 鈥� and appointed retired Abbotsford police chief Mike Serr as its replacement administrator.
Farnworth noted at the time that Serr鈥檚 appointment was made under Section 8 of the Police Amendment Act 鈥渁fter careful consideration of the work by the 性视界传媒 Police Board, which has been limited due to the lack of progress from the City of 性视界传媒 in advancing the police model transition to the SPS."
Serr's final meeting as the board's administrator was on Nov. 27, 2024.
