Vancouver mayor willing to help Surrey as it works to replace RCMP

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The mayor of Vancouver is promising to do what he can to help after the City of Surrey officially asked for Vancouver’s help as it moves ahead with plans to replace the city’s RCMP.

Kennedy Stewart has already received a formal letter from Surrey mayor Doug McCallum and a partnership agreement is now in the works.

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“For me, it’s a show of goodwill towards Surrey to help them move ahead with this,” Stewart says. “Mayor McCallum has a democratic mandate to move ahead with this process and so I’m just being a helpful neighbour.”

That help may take the form of shared facilities, or lending out senior members of the VPD to help with the transition.

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“I’m always interested in looking where we can both reduce costs in the long run, so that may end up sharing facilities,” Stewart adds.

These plans are still in their early stages, and Stewart says the final agreement would need the support of Vancouver City Council and the police board.

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Council unanimously passed a motion immediately after it was sworn in November to terminate its contract with RCMP and begin forming a municipal force.

McCallum has said he believes the switch to municipal policing can be accomplished within the next two years at a cost of about $120 million.

-With files from the Canadian Press