Federal government unplugs Surrey Police Service IT plan
SURREY, BC, Dec. 8, 2020 /CNW/ - The National Police Federation (NPF) is reacting to a federal government statement that it will not provide information technology (IT) services to the City of Surrey for their proposed police service, creating another major hole in the City's transition plans. NPF President Brian Sauvé says this is just the latest example of the disarray surrounding Surrey's proposed transition.
"We have been highlighting this issue for months, and now the federal government has confirmed Surrey is on their own to select, purchase and implement an entirely new, multi-million-dollar system for IT services," said Sauvé. "The Mayor's plan is coming apart in every direction."
The news came in the form of a recently released federal government response to a written to a written question submitted in October 2020. Surrey has not proposed how it plans to create a new IT system from scratch, how much it will cost, or how they plan to pay for it.
"It's only one item in a long list of exploding costs for this transition, which peels back the curtain on the reason for the City's recent significant tax increases, and a tripling of transition costs," added Sauvé.
The response from Public Safety Canada states: "Canada does not have the authority to provide IT services to any external non-Government of Canada party under any circumstance." The response also notes that this information was provided to the City of Surrey as early as September 4, 2020.
"The fact that the City was provided this information months ago and has failed to clearly disclose this significant issue to taxpayers, is consistent with the Mayor's secretive approach and lack of public engagement," said Sauvé. "Surrey taxpayers deserves a clear accounting of the ballooning costs associated with this unpopular transition plan."
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019. The NPF is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada, the second largest in North America, and is the first independent national association to represent RCMP Members. The NPF is focused on improving public safety in Canada by negotiating the first-ever Collective Agreement for RCMP officers, and on increasing resources, equipment, training and supports for our Members who have been under-funded for far too long. Better resourcing and support for the RCMP will enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/.
SOURCE National Police Federation
Media contact: Brian Sauvé, President, National Police Federation, [email protected], T: 604-861-2684
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