The Surrey Police Union (SPU) has initiated a Dear Brenda social media campaign named after Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke explaining why the city should eliminate the RCMP. .“Our issue isn’t with the mayor,” said SPU Director Darin Sheppard in a Monday interview on Mornings with Simi on 980 CKNW. .“It’s just with the misinformation that’s out there.” .The British Columbia government encouraged Surrey to follow through on its transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service (SPS) in April because it provides public safety for the city and throughout the province..READ MORE: BC government recommends continuing transition away from RCMP in Surrey.“Everyone deserves to be safe in their community and all British Columbians deserve secure, stable policing they can count on,” said BC Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth. .“The people of Surrey are very frustrated by years of uncertainty over this debate, but we must move forward without reducing police presence when we need it the most.” .Locke said in April she will not be abiding by the BC government’s request to move towards the SPS. .READ MORE: Surrey mayor refuses BC’s recommendation to get rid of RCMP.“The BC Police Act states clearly: The choice of police is under the purview of the municipality,” said Locke. .Elected on a promise to keep the RCMP in Surrey, she vowed to continue to do that, slamming Farnworth for a decision she viewed as “extraordinarily disrespectful.”.Sheppard said it “felt it was important that our members have an opportunity to share some of their experiences in this partisan debate.”.The Dear Brenda campaign is an opportunity for them to speak to the public. .“OK so if the issue isn’t with the mayor, the campaign definitely targets the mayor by kind of naming it after her,” said Mornings with Simi host Simi Sara. .He agreed with her, saying it is countering misinformation she is putting out. Whether or not she is getting factual information is up for debate. .He acknowledged what the SPU wants to talk about is “addressing directly to the mayor some of the concerns that our members have had with the ongoing transition and some of the reasons that they feel some of these numbers that have been touted about about members going to the RCMP are false.” .Sara asks why does Sheppard feel Locke does not have the correct information. She wants to know where these numbers are coming from. .“Well they’re coming from Assistant Commissioner [Brian] Edwards and the RCMP,” he said.
