Leaked email says RCMP didn’t consult Surrey police on transition date

An email leaked to the Surrey Citizen reveals that the RCMP did not consult the Surrey Police Service when it announced that it would be pulling out of the community in November 2026.

The email is by SPS Chief Const. Norm Lipinski and it was sent to SPS members last week in the wake of an announcement by RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald.

“It is important for all of you to know that a firm end date for the transition has not been agreed to by all parties,” Lipinski says in the email. “The November 2026 end date referenced by the RCMP was not discussed (or) agreed to by SPS prior to POI. Over the past year, SPS has maintained that it will take approximately two more years (until the end of 2027) for the transition to be (completed). The exact timeline will depend on several factors, including the cadence of SPS’s hiring, JIBC classes and the RCMP’s demobilization, and the completion of file transfer.

“Until SPS is fully resourced, the Province of BC must continue to ensure there is adequate and effective levels of policing in Surrey, as per the Police Act.”

Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko says the disconnect between the RCMP and the SPS on a timeline is alarming due to the funding implications.

Under the terms of their current agreement, the City of Surrey receives RCMP support with a 30 per cent subsidy from the federal government, Sturko said. If an agreement to extend the RCMP can be reached and services extend beyond the contract, the subsidy may no longer apply, and RCMP services may be charged at full cost.

“This whole system, it seems to be collapsing,” Sturko said in an interview with the Citizen. “If they (the RCMP) are going to stay (past 2026) then it’s going to cost more. The province needs to sort this out.”

Not enough cops: As of Sept. 30, SPS says it has 583 sworn officers towards its goal of 860 officers by the end of the transition, so it needs 277 new officers to be recruited and integrated in less than a year if the RCMP do actually leave by November 2026. For a comparison, the SPS has hired just 160 officers in 11 months in 2025.

“The Surrey Police Service appears to be challenged to meet the timelines for the final phase of transition,” Sturko said. “This will have cost implications and increases uncertainty for frontline officers – all while our city is combatting an extortion crisis.”