"Despite these concerns being raised by residents in numerous surveys, the NPF and many of Surrey's own City Councillors, the public still does not have a clear accounting of the millions in missing costs for this unpopular plan," said National Police Federation (NPF) President Brian Sauvé. "We've already seen IT costs balloon by $500,000, but there are dozens of other major hidden or unknown costs that the Board must get to the bottom of."

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

SURREY – The National Police Federation (NPF) President Brian Sauvé is calling on the Surrey Police Board to insist on identifying and reviewing the true and full cost of Mayor Doug McCallum's widely unpopular police transition plan as they met on Tuesday for a board meeting.

"Despite these concerns being raised by residents in numerous surveys, the NPF and many of Surrey's own City Councillors, the public still does not have a clear accounting of the millions in missing costs for this unpopular plan," said Sauvé. "We've already seen IT costs balloon by $500,000, but there are dozens of other major hidden or unknown costs that the Board must get to the bottom of."

The National Police Federation has identified an initial list of major costs that the City of Surrey has not accounted for or disclosed:

*Potential doubling of IT costs, based on expert estimates

*Liability and legal costs for accidents, civil actions, and other claims

*Administrative costs for hiring new officers, including polygraph testing

*Health costs to support officers suffering from long-term occupational stress and other injuries, including PTSD

*The loss of federal and provincial tax exemptions, including Federal Sales Tax exemption

*Loss of additional federal subsidies, including 30% subsidy for the Integrated Homicide Investigative Teams (IHIT) service

*Costs associated with negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement

*Potential costs to negotiate pension top ups for RCMP officers transferring to Surrey

*Additional administrative costs for resourcing significant public events, such as parades or celebrations

*Expenses to pay RCMP Members to return to testify in court on ongoing cases in Surrey for three to five years

"The new Surrey Police Board now has the ability to insist on answers to these important questions which require careful consideration, especially in light of COVID-19's financial and social impacts on residents and Surrey's multi-million-dollar deficit," added Sauve. "While the Mayor might find it politically expedient to ignore these questions, we ask the Board to govern in residents' interests and take the time needed to disclose to taxpayers how much this expensive and unpopular plan will really cost them."