At a Surrey Police Board meeting on October 29, results of a 2024 City of Surrey public opinion survey indicate that 70 percent of all Surrey residents have had no contact with the police this year.

Léger Inc.’s survey of 808 participants in July found that 18 percent of Surrey residents indicated they had been the victim of a crime, 61 percent reported the crime while 36 percent did not. not done, and that 39 percent of residents fear walking alone at night in their community.

The survey, designed by Eli Sopow (Ph.D., Human and Organizational Systems) and Curt Griffiths (Ph.D., Criminology), found that ranking organized crime and gangs as a high or very high priority for police, the Surrey average was 75 percent (same for Newton), 69 percent in Cloverdale, 77 percent in Guildford, 76 percent in Fleetwood, 81 percent in South Surrey and 73 percent in Whalley.

Sopow told the commission that respondents indicated they did not report their crime “because they think the police are too busy.” Many crimes were relatively minor in nature, he noted.

“Surprisingly, this year, compared to 2021, South Surrey, for reasons that I don’t yet know very well and which didn’t come up in the survey, has more concerns about its security and a greater police presence and they’re thinking overall, compared to 2021. “Compared to Surrey’s overall averages, things are a little tougher than they were in 2021,” Sopow remarked.

“South Surrey rumbles a little more.”

Sixty-six per cent on average in Surrey say mental health-related calls are something police should “keep an eye on”, but in the city center this rises to 91 per cent, with respondents thinking it will have “a major, major impact.” on crime in the coming year,” Sopow said.

“Well, it’s something – visible homelessness, it’s not going to go away. On average 57 per cent for Surrey, okay, maybe that can be managed in a few different ways with the consultations with community services, but again, where is it higher – hello again, Whalley / Downtown, right there, 66 percent, the highest of all the different communities, they think that’s where? Things are really going to bite us in the coming year.

Survey respondents said policing’s biggest priorities should be responding to violent crime, followed by “fast policing,” tackling organized crime and gangs, then violence domestic, cyber and property crimes.

Meanwhile, a snapshot of future policing pressures in Surrey, according to the survey, was prioritized: organized crime gangs, growing population, illegal drug sales, increased trafficking, visible homeless, calls related to mental health and internet scams.

And when it comes to policing operations, survey results indicate that 66 percent of the public prefers a combination of foot patrols and vehicle patrols, with 57 percent of respondents giving a high/very high rating in the community consultation, 84 percent agreed/strongly agreed. that Surrey Police Department officers should wear body cameras, 60 percent think it is somewhat/very important that officers be fluent in “other than English” and 43 percent think there should be an equal number of men and women police officers. .

Board trustee Mike Serr said the SPS currently has “just under” 450 police officers as it becomes the competent Surrey police force on November 29.

Police Chief Norm Lipinski said he looks forward to presenting a 2025 police strategic plan to the public, “district by district.”

“We are hiring according to a plan that is being developed, but has not yet been revealed to the public, but we are working with all three levels of government and of course with the RCMP to mobilize the Surrey detachment and with the RCMP to demobilize the Surrey detachment There is more information that will come in the coming weeks,” Lipinski told the board.

“Suffice it to say that we are on track for November 29, we will be POJ on November 29, and there is a lot of hard work that has been done and there is a lot of detailed work that remains to be done by then and November 29.

Lipinski said that in early November, the SPS would launch a “public education campaign about what exactly would happen on November 29, and there would be multiple media feeds about it and the most important thing I want to convey to the public is that there will be continuity of service, that is, public safety will not be compromised, many different methodologies are used to ensure that this does not happen in one way or another. another one.

Lipinski added that he is “very confident” that the work the SPS is doing with the RCMP and government agencies is helping to “coherently build a plan that ensures this transition continues throughout 2025 and 2026 and a part of 2027”.

The next board meeting is scheduled for November 27.