Surrey鈥檚 new officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP, Brian Edwards, will take over the reins of Canada鈥檚 largest RCMP detachment on Jan. 6.
Replacing Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, who is taking on a new role as the RCMP鈥檚 criminal operations officer in charge of federal, investigative services and organized crime for B.C., Edwards will be promoted to the rank of assistant commissioner from chief superintendent.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an absolute honour to have been selected by the RCMP and the City of Surrey to be the next officer in charge of Surrey RCMP,鈥� Edwards said Thursday, considering it a 鈥渇eather鈥� in his cap.
鈥淭he Surrey RCMP is known to push the envelope on things, to lead best practices,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 understand this is a particularly challenging time, given Surrey鈥檚 expressed desire to move to a municipal police service, and that creates uncertainty with the public and it creates uncertainty for the rank-and-file members of Surrey detachment. With that in mind, I will say and assure the citizens of Surrey that we will continue to provide a top-notch, excellent police service moving forward focused on crime reduction.鈥�
Surrey's new top cop Brian Edwards on putting his "stamp on things."
鈥� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)
McDonald on Dec. 3 issued a public statement that Surrey鈥檚 budget for 2020, approved by city council on the night prior, will have a 鈥渄etrimental effect鈥� on policing 鈥渁nd on the health and wellness of our members and municipal support staff.鈥� He warned in his press release that as the budget doesn鈥檛 allow for the hiring of more police for the second year in a row that the Surrey RCMP will have to review its policing services.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it will be hard to put my stamp on things,鈥� Edwards said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to come in, there鈥檚 not going to be any immediate changes. I want to consult with the senior leadership team 鈥� they know the detachment best 鈥� and look at the programs and services that we are delivering. There is no doubt that when a community is growing by 800 to 1,000 people a month and there鈥檚 no increase in resources, over time that鈥檚 going to put pressures and strains on things. It鈥檚 just a matter of where those pressures are, and what I need to do is come in and look at those and if adjustments need to be made, then we鈥檒l move forward with adjustments but I can say it鈥檚 too early to say where those adjustments may be made.鈥�
Edwards told reporters Thursday the priorities for the detachment are set out in a strategic plan running from 2018 to 2022 in alignment with the Surrey Public Safety Plan.
鈥淲hat I want to do is come in, and speak with the senior leadership team on where we鈥檙e at with those priorities,鈥� Edwards said. 鈥淚 also want to speak to City staff, and the mayor, and the city manager as well as reach out to the community to be sure that crime reduction and pressure on violent crime and gangs is going to continue in the immediate future.鈥�
He doesn鈥檛 agree with the proposition that Surrey residents have lost faith in the RCMP.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the public has lost faith in the RCMP in Surrey,鈥� Edwards said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 actually quite the contrary.鈥�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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