Mayor Brenda Locke claims Surrey Police Service ran up $26 million deficit in 2023

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke's claim of a $26 million deficit on the police is being called wrong by the union.

In fact, Locke had accused the city's municipal police force of a deficit of $26 million last year, while the Surrey Police Union has dismissed this allegation as baseless.

It is worth noting that in BC's second largest city, a long battle is going on over the police system.

The latest war of words comes after complaints that Surrey froze the salaries of new recruits in December.

In a statement released yesterday by Mayor Brenda Locke, the Surrey Police Service was accused of spending out of control, calling these recruitments unaccredited.

Locke said that last year the city council budgeted $48.7 million for the Surrey Police Union, but the department has spent $75.4 million.

The Surrey Police Board and the union immediately started opposing these claims of the Mayor.