A staff report presented to Surrey City Council last month sheds light on the immense cost of the police transition in Surrey. According to that report, the costs for the Surrey Police Service are estimated to be $235M more than maintaining the RCMP as Surrey’s Police of Jurisdiction over the next 5 years. To recover this funding gap in the upcoming year a one-time tax increase of 55% would be required, in addition to the normal tax rate set by Council. It is abundantly clear that a switch to the Surrey Police Service would create an untenable financial burden for Surrey taxpayers during the

On January 4th at approximately 7:00pm, New Westminster Police Department officers received a request for assistance from the Metro Vancouver Transit Police following a report of a stabbing inside a SkyTrain car. The SkyTrain car was held at Columbia SkyTrain Station and New Westminster Police Department officers rushed to the scene. Once the scene was contained, police located a man with injuries consistent with an edged weapon. BC Ambulance Service and New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services provided him aid before he was transported to nearby hospital. The injuries received were significan

The BC Prosecution Service says no charges will be laid against an Abbotsford, B.C., police officer whose use of a beanbag shotgun during an arrest seriously injured a suspect. A statement from the service says it is not able to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer committed any offence when the man was shot with the impact weapon in Chilliwack, B.C., in March 2020. An investigation by B.C.'s police watchdog said there were reasonable grounds to believe the officer may have committed offences while using the less-lethal impact weapon and forwarded its report to the Crown for con

The North Vancouver RCMP are appealing to the public after a motorist fled from Police on New Year's Eve and crashed short time later. On December 31st, at 1930 hrs Police observed a black Land Rover swerving near E 19th St and Grand Blvd E. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop for traffic violations but the vehicle refused to stop, and fled at a high rate of speed weaving dangerously in and out of traffic. Due to the risk to public safety, officers did not pursue the vehicle. Short time later witnesses reported a black Land Rover involved in a collision with a tree on Westview Dr on-r

On December 30th 2022, a high risk arrest occurred in the 12300 block of 227th Street in Maple Ridge. This arrest resulted in one suspect, 26 year old Joshawa Hall of Coquitlam, who was wanted on numerous warrants, being taken into police custody. The warrants for Mr. Hall’s arrest were connected to the assault of a woman in New Westminster in early 2022, as well as breaching court-imposed bail conditions, failing to appear in court, and evading arrest. Additional details about the assault can be found in our media release from January 2022 – Emergency Response Team deployed to barricaded

The agency that handles most emergency calls in British Columbia has announced 2022 was its busiest year, but along with managing life-saving communications, EComm says it is still receiving an unacceptable number of senseless calls. EComm, which handles all but a fraction of B.C.'s 911 call volume, has released a list of top 10 frivolous complaints it says came in last year. The list ranges from children drawing with chalk in a playground to a messy roommate, broken windshield wiper, cellphone stuck in a bench and, No. 1 on the list, a malfunctioning nozzle at a gas station. Call takers say

Surrey RCMP is advising the public of a shooting in Whalley and requesting anyone with information to contact police. On January 4, 2023, at approximately 5:10 a.m. Surrey RCMP received a report of shots fired in the 10600-block of 138 Street. Officers attended the scene and located evidence consistent with a shooting which included damage to a residence. Although there were multiple people inside the residence at the time of the shooting, no injuries were reported. Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit has assumed conduct of the investigation and are in the evidence gathering stage. The sho

People bringing forward human rights claims will soon have better access to justice through increased funding for the BC Human Rights Tribunal and the Community Legal Assistance Society. "Nobody should be forced to live with intolerance and bigotry – that’s why our government has prioritized supporting people and communities in fighting racism and other forms of discrimination," said Premier David Eby. "I’m glad that more people than ever before are standing up against discrimination and hate, including through the BC Human Rights Tribunal. By supporting faster access to justice at the t

A chronic offender with more than 115 previous convictions faces more charges after Vancouver Police arrested him for allegedly stealing nearly $40,000 in fine art from a South Granville gallery. VPD officers made the arrest Saturday, after the art gallery owner called 9-1-1 to report that a known thief had walked in and stolen a pricey piece of art. "Our officers responded quickly, reviewed security video, and immediately recognized the suspect," says Sergeant Steve Addison. "The thief had fled prior to our arrival, but the officers drove to his home in East Vancouver, waited for him, and arr