photo from City of Surrey at surrey.ca
The public has to start asking some hard questions about this city’s move to a municipal police force, according to a former Surrey city councillor. Mike Starchuk, a long-time firefighter and a one-term city councillor, said Surrey residents are only getting a tiny portion of the necessary information in the move to a municipal police force. 
Key among the information not known to the public is how much this is going to cost and whether we will have better policing as a result.
The public is being invited to “consultation” meetings, which he says are anything but consulting. The public is shown a mock-up police car and some story boards of information on what a new police force would look like.
“What we don’t see is how it’s going to function,” Starchuk told PulseFM in an interview Tuesday. “What we don’t see is what it’s going to cost. What we don’t see is how it’s going to be an improvement.”
He says that’s what the public wants and needs. “The public doesn’t want a dog and pony show,” he said. “It’s an exercise in convincing.”
He believes the public will be surprised by the charges that shows up on their property tax bill when it comes time to pay for it. He is urging the public to show up to the meetings scheduled for their neighbourhoods and have their say.
“I want those people to say `this is how I feel about our public money being spent,’” Starchuk said. “If you don’t say anything at that time, there’s no recourse that you have.”
Full Interview with Mike Starchuk
City scheduled public meetings on Surrey police
| Cloverdale Recreation Centre | 6188 176 Street | Consultation Session | May 23 | 3 – 7 pm |
| Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre | 16855 24 Avenue | Pop-Up Kiosk | May 24 | 4 – 7 pm |
| Holland Park | 13428 Old Yale Road | Survey Stations | May 27 | 10 am – 2 pm |
| Fraser Heights Recreation Centre | 10588 160 Street | Pop-Up Kiosk | May 28 | 3 – 7 pm |
| Fleetwood Community Centre | 15996 84 Avenue | Consultation Session | May 29 | 3 – 7 pm |
| Bear Creek Skateboard Park | 8502 King George Blvd. | Survey Stations | May 30 | 10 am – 2 pm |
| Central City Shopping Centre | 10153 King George Blvd. | Pop-Up Kiosk | May 31 | 1 – 3 pm |
| Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre | 13458 107A Ave | Consultation Session | June 1 | 12 – 5 pm |
| Surrey Sports & Leisure Complex | 16555 Fraser Hwy #100 | Consultation Session | June 5 | 3 – 7 pm |
| Bear Creek Pavilion | 13750 88 Avenue | Pop-Up Kiosk | June 7 | 2 – 5 pm |
| Bridgeview Community Centre | 11475 126A Street | Consultation Session | June 8 | 10 am – 2 pm |
| Punjab Banquet Hall | 8155 128 Street | Consultation Session | June 9 | 10 am – 2 pm |
| Scott Road Park and Ride | 12515 110 Ave | Survey Stations | June 11 | 7 – 10 am |
| Gateway SkyTrain Station | 108 Ave and University Drive | Survey Stations | June 11 | 4 – 6 pm |
| King George SkyTrain Station | 9900 King George Blvd. | Survey Stations | June 12 | 7 – 10 am |
| Crescent Beach | Beecher Street and O’Hara Lane corner | Survey Stations | June 13 | 10 am – 2 pm |
| South Surrey Recreation & Arts Centre | 14601 20 Avenue | Consultation Session | June 15 | 12 – 5 pm |
| Newton Athletic Park | 7395 128 Street | Pop-Up Kiosk | June 16 | 9 am – 1 pm |
| Newton Recreation Centre | 13730 72 Avenue | Consultation Session | June 19 | 3 – 7 pm |
| Guildford Recreation Centre | 15105 105 Avenue | Pop-Up Kiosk | June 28 | 3 – 8 pm |
| Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara | 7050 120 St | Pop-Up Kiosk | June 30 | 9 am – 1 pm |