Surrey rejects police funding deal but transition wont stop, minister says – BC [Video]

The City of Surrey has rejected a funding deal to help offset the costs of its transition to a municipal police force, B.C.’s public safety minister and solicitor general says.

Mike Farnworth said the city had approached the province to negotiate the transition to the Surrey Police Service (SPS) in January, leading to a deal package the province offered with a Tuesday deadline.

On Tuesday, Farnworth said that despite Mayor Brenda Locke indicating last week that the council had agreed in principle to the financial commitment, the city ultimately opted not to take the deal.

With the rejection, the province has now made the terms of the deal public.

The agreement would have provided Surrey with a previously reported $150 million over five years to help complete the transition.

On top of that, the province had committed to providing up to $20 million a year for the five years after that should the SPS cost …