Publication date: Nov 07, 2022 • 0 mins ago • 2 mins read • 8 Comments An undated leaflet photo of Chief Constable Norm Lipinski with Surrey Police Service (SPS) recruits. Photo by Flavia Chan / Surrey Police Serv /jpg

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Surrey Police Service has asked Twitter trolls to stop spreading lies about its officers and their families as a way to discredit the controversial transition from an RCMP detachment to a municipal police force. On Monday, the SPS Twitter handle (which has 5,350 followers) said “Surrey Police Service is excluding significant individuals who use Twitter to engage in personal attacks against our officers, and even worse, their families.” Start your day with a roundup of BC-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7am, Monday to Friday. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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Surrey Police Service takes significant exception to people who use Twitter to engage in personal attacks against our officers, and even worse, their families. 1/2 — Surrey Police Service (@surreyps) November 7, 2022
SPS spokesman Ian MacDonald said the intensity of Twitter trolls (people who post false and inflammatory comments linked to accounts of people they attack) had increased since the October 15 municipal election, when anti-SPS mayoral candidate Brenda Locke won former mayor Doug. McCallum — who created the SPS to replace the Surrey RCMP. “Trolls do what trolls do, but it’s reached a new low,” MacDonald said, referring to the tweets that have alleged infidelity, family breakdown and hidden children against some SPS members. MacDonald said it was particularly worrying that the trolls knew specific police officers and attacked them as part of an ongoing effort to discredit the SPS – which is embroiled in a nasty political battle within Surrey.

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This battle dates back to 2018, when McCallum was elected on a promise to get rid of the Surrey RCMP and replace them with a municipal force. McCallum won the provincial government’s approval for a change in forces and as of this month the agency has hired 296 sworn officers and 57 civilian staff, with the agency slated to be fully operational by next July. Mayor Locke is 100 percent committed to keeping the Surrey RCMP and has called for a corporate report outlining how the city will disband SPS. That report will be forwarded to BC Attorney General Mike Farnworth, who will have the final say on who gets to police BC’s second-largest municipality by population. Despite this state of flux, the SPS continues to recruit officers and continues as if it is guaranteed to be allowed to take over from the RCMP.

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Surrey RCMP meanwhile are also continuing as if they will remain in place, making no comment to the media about the transition. MacDonald said policing was already a challenging profession and targeting individual officers online was treacherous and unfair. [email protected] More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to the Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

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