Editor:
Re: Fear of referendum is showing, Oct. 28 letters
The mayor of Surrey ran on a platform of getting Surrey its own police force and extending SkyTrain into Langley.
I did not vote for Mr. McCallum, but the citizens of Surrey did. He made promises and he kept them. Isn’t this something that we citizens desire in our politicians?
It seems that there is a segment of the population that is unhappy with the results. They have the opportunity in the next election to make their voices heard and even to run for council themselves. Just because a certain segment of the population does not like the results of the democratic process doesn’t mean that they get a redo.
As for the RCMP, I believe there are many fine individual men and women doing the right thing, often under very difficult circumstances. They don’t have an easy job.
However, many failures of the RCMP are well documented. These include the tasering death of an innocent citizen, Robert Dziekanski, at Vancouver International airport; the manipulation and charging of drug-addled couple John Nuttall and Amanda Korody on terrorism charges; the sexual harassment and bullying cases filed against the RCMP by its own members.
These cases have cost taxpayers here in Surrey and across the country millions of dollars in settlement fees. There are well documented federal reports on the dysfunction of the RCMP particularly at the leadership level.
Brenda Lucki, current head of the force, has the unenviable task of trying to fix these systemic problems.
There are well-documented federal reports on the dysfunction of the RCMP particularly at the leadership level.
Brenda Lucki, current head of the force, has the unenviable task of trying to fix these systemic problems.
The City of Surrey needs its own police force, built from the ground up, which will be held accountable to the city and its needs with oversight from council and the citizens of Surrey, not a system which is under the direction of distant Ottawa and its dysfunctional hierarchy.
It needs a force which is able to respond quickly and effectively to issues that need immediate attention and treats its members, both men and women, with the respect and dignity to which they are entitled.
Valerie Olafson, South Surrey