According to the report prepared by a committee chaired by former attorney general and judge Wally Oppal, Surrey’s local police force will have a staff of 1150 people, including 805 officers.The local force is projected to cost $192.5 million in 2021 which will be an additional burden of $18.9 million as compared to RCMP.The report also mentions a one time $45.2 million setting-up cost for the new force.According to this report, the local police force will result in a 16% increase in the number of front line patrol officers.Full text of this report prepared by Provincial Municipality Policin

Seven additional people in British Columbia have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 39. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says two of the new cases are health care workers at the same long term care facility where a small outbreak has already been identified. A total of eight cases are now linked to the Lynn Valley Care Centre, including two family members or close contacts of a health-care worker. Henry says the initial health-care worker who tested positive at the seniors facility has been admitted to hospital for monitoring, adding that no additional re

Surrey RCMP is teaming up with the Bolo Program, a social media site that posts rewards and spreads information about wanted criminals, in hopes of tracking a man wanted for an alleged kidnapping in Surrey last year. A 50 thousand dollar reward has now been offered for information that could lead to the arrest of Meaz Nour-Eldin, who Surrey RCMP say is also wanted on warrants in BC, Alberta and Ontario for drug trafficking, human trafficking and sexual assault. In announcing the collaboration with the Bolo Program, Mounties say the attempted kidnapping occurred July 4, 2019 and the alleged vi

The Transportation Safety Board says seven rail cars that derailed in northern British Columbia last Thursday were filled with liquefied petroleum gas. Board spokesman Alexandre Fournier says in an email that seven of the 28 derailed cars were filled with the gas, which is classed by the federal government as a flammable and dangerous commodity. Canadian National Railway could not immediately be reached for comment, but last week the company said there was no danger to the public as a result of the derailment. The local school district says Giscome Elementary was evacuated after the derailmen

The BC Coroners Service is investigating after a person died in a mobile home fire in southeastern BC. RCMP in Nakusp say the blaze broke out Saturday night and the mobile home, located in Burton, about 35 kilometres south of Nakusp, was fully engulfed by the time crews arrived. The victim was found in the home after the flames were out. Police say criminality is not suspected and the person's name will not be released.

A suspicious fire this morning in Coquitlam has led to a gruesome discovery. RCMP say they were called to assist firefighters at a small blaze in Minnekhada Regional Park in the northeast corner of Coquitlam. Mounties say there was evidence of a suspicious death at the scene and members of the Integrated Homicide Investigation team have been called but no other details are available. Corporal Michael McLaughlin says a woman is in custody, but he hasn't said how she might be connected to the death.

Police say a man has been arrested and charged in connection with a pair of sex assaults near bus stops in the Greater Victoria area.Saanich police say the 40 year old suspect from Sidney was arrested on Sunday and has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and released on conditions.The man is alleged to have followed a 17 year old girl and a 25 year old woman off the bus in two separate incidents.Police say the incidents each happened at the end of February and both involved unwanted sexual touching.

A private school in West Vancouver has closed its two campuses early for spring break as a precaution against the spread of the novel coronavirus.Collingwood School says classes are expected to resume at the end of the month at its junior school campus, as well as its middle and senior school campus.A letter sent out from the head of the school says a ``close contact to one of our Collingwood families not a student family member, or staff member,'' tested positive for the virus.The school will be subject to deep cleaning while it is closed.

Police in North and West Vancouver say they set up signs last week warning drivers to stay off the phone but still handed out 36 tickets for distracted driving within metres of those signs. West Vancouver police Constable Kevin Goodmurphy says, for some reason, drivers still aren't getting the message. He says during a 90 minute blitz at the height of rush hour last Friday, officers had no trouble spotting drivers texting or talking on their phones while behind the wheel. The distracted driving campaign is set to continue through March and beyond.