The NDP government of British Columbia, according to Solicitor General Mike Farnworth, has decided to back the transition to a new police force from the RCMP for the province’s largest city. This decision is wise from many points of view, chief amongst them being that the RCMP is not a good police force. BC is unusually dependent on an organization that has a record of abuses in this province stretching well out into its colonial history. Allowing the transition to continue in Surrey is a sign of growth and confidence.
The record speaks for itself aside from a mediocre job of law enforcement. The RCMP is having trouble recruiting and retaining police officers due to low morale. They were also responsible for the deaths of Ian Bush, Robert Dziekanski, the lack of progress in missing and murdered investigations, the coverup of abuses in Burns Lake, and the arrests and wrongful incarcerations of Sebastian Burns and Atif Rafay. Their profligate use of the Mr. Big sting has done untold damage to innocent people.
In no way do I mean to say that the RCMP is devoid of good, even heroic officers. The majority are certainly beyond reproach, but the institution is sick and malfunctioning. They are a poor choice for a local police force and, as soon as Mayor Brenda Locke wakes up to this fact, even she might see the truth, that Surrey needs its own police force as part of its growth into a diverse and vital city.