The Surrey Police Service (SPS) says big changes have come to the city since their take-over from the RCMP 60 days ago.
SPS Chief Norm Lipinski said as the transition continues property and violent crime in the city is slowly going down.
The SPS became Surrey’s police force of jurisdiction on Nov. 29.
New additions include the formation of a police board, a dedicated impaired driving unit, and the application of inspectors to various sectors of Surrey.
“It’s a deep sense of accomplishment. And I’m proud of all the work that went into this and the members that worked on the streets and took thousands of calls and kept the citizens of Surrey safe,” Lipinski said.
The SPS placed inspectors in Newton and Whalley to connect with residents and learn more about their needs, based on the results of community surveys.
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Lipinski said more will be deployed as jurisdictions transition over.
“We determined that Surrey is a big city, and it has different policing needs depending on the area,” Lipinski said.
Recruitment has been successful for the SPS. As of January 2025, the municipal force had hired 485 sworn officers, along with 464 civilian staff.
Lipinski said he hopes to hire another 100 officers this year. He is aiming for a total of 810 officers once the transition is fully complete.
The success of the SPS’s recruitment efforts has come at the expense of some other Metro Vancouver police departments. Port Moody’s police service has been left with an unprecedented vacancy rate.
Port Moody police say 17 per cent of the force has considered and left over the past five years.
Lipinski said communication with other chiefs has been vital while finding a balance in recruitment from other police services.
He hopes going forward the transition can be finished as quickly as possible.
