Public security concerns over Surrey police revealed in court documents

Documents and evidence submitted in court, as the City of Surrey challenges a provincial order that it create a new municipal police force, has revealed both the city and the province had serious concerns about the impact on policing if the issue wasn’t resolved swiftly.Surrey has asked for a judicial review of Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth’s decision last July to order the city to continue with a transition from RCMP to a municipal police force. The city’s suit says the minister overstepped his legal powers and denied freedom of expression to Surrey voters.The province’s lawyer, Trevor Bant, told court this week that even Surrey city staff acknowledged in a confidential report to councillors last June that there could be serious policing issues if Surrey did not have a strong plan in place when reverting to the RCMP.