Police transition costs growing, $150,000 per month
and climbing fast: Councillor Linda Annis
Surrey, BC (May 25, 2020): Surrey Councillor Linda Annis says she will be voting against spending $500,000 today on proposed computer upgrades for a transition to the mayor’s proposed Surrey Police Department.
“Like so many of the rising costs associated with transition to the SPD, we wouldn’t need these tech upgrades if we stayed with the RCMP,” said Annis. “Costs for the transition are already at $150,000 per month and climbing daily. Worse, no one really knows what the final cost will be. For instance the IT and computer budget estimate is $6 million to $20 million.
How can a range like that even be taken seriously. That’s not a serious budget number, it’s a ballpark at best and so open ended it makes absolutely no sense.” Annis said Surrey taxpayers need to know these numbers will ultimately hit them in their wallets, and do nothing to provide better policing or public safety.
Frankly, the more we learn about the cost of transition the more this looks like a vanity project for the mayor and his Safe Surrey councillors,” explained Annis. “In fact, I’d stake my seat on council if this transition ever passed a public referendum. But, the mayor would never allow that because Surrey voters would stick with the RCMP if they were given the opportunity.”
Annis said she will be voting against every SPD transition cost being brought before council.
“The transition cost is at least $129 million at a time when our city revenues are down and our citizens and businesses are hurting,” added Annis. “Proceeding is completely tone deaf to the hard times facing our citizens. Even worse, the proposed SPD will actually have fewer officers than we have right now. The math is completely ridiculous and the lack of accountability and transparency is hard to swallow.”
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