Surrey, BC- The transition of policing services in Surrey reached another milestone today with the first deployment of Surrey Police Service (SPS) vehicles into policing operations. On July 2nd, ten fully marked and equipped SPS police vehicles went into service. An additional twenty vehicles will be put into service in late July and August, for a total of 30 vehicles deployed by the end of the summer.
SPS officers will be driving these vehicles while responding to calls for service and providing proactive policing in Surrey. As the SPS fleet continues to grow, some SPS officers will still drive RCMP-branded vehicles. This phased transition is part of the lead-up to SPS becoming the police of jurisdiction on November 29, 2024.
Surrey residents first saw SPS officers and uniforms in the community when the initial group of officers was deployed in December 2021. Since then, SPS officers have had hundreds of interactions with the community and responded to thousands of calls for service, helping residents and business owners become familiar with SPS. Now, many of these officers will also be driving SPS-branded vehicles while carrying out their duties.
“Getting Surrey Police Service vehicles on the road is an essential step forward in Surrey’s policing transition,” says Chief Constable Norm Lipinski. “As we prepare to take over policing on November 29th, it is important for residents to become familiar with the look of their new police service so they will be comfortable approaching SPS vehicles and officers whenever they need help or have questions.”