B.C. Premier Eby says Surrey must talk with province about police transition costs

VICTORIA — B.C. Premier David Eby says it’s time for the City of Surrey and the province to talk about the extra money the city says it needs to replace the RCMP with a local police force. 

Eby says the provincial government’s $150-million contribution to cover transition costs remains on the table, but there will be no more. 

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has said there will be a $314-million shortfall over 10 years if they have to drop the RCMP, and Surrey has asked for a judicial review of the government’s order that it must transition to a local police force. 

But Eby told a news conference on a separate issue that the city has not shown where the added costs will be, and its police budget currently has a surplus.