Serr said that the transition from the Surrey RCMP to the Surrey Police Service will take approximately two-and-a-half years.
Surrey Police Board administrator Mike Serr presented 2024 provincial budget on Thursday.
He said that city council has still not approved the budget for the police transition, presented to mayor and council last November.
Serr added that the transition from the Surrey RCMP to the Surrey Police Service will take approximately two-and-a-half years.
Overall, the Surrey Police Service is asking for $141.5 million to eventually have 785 officers on the force.
The service aims at adding 180 additional police officers this year, including 135 experienced officers recruited from across the country and 45 new recruits who will attend the Justice Institute for training.
By the end of 2024, the Surrey Police Service aims to have 526 officers on the ground, which is about 77 per cent of the city’s target.