Surrey (Rajeev Sharma): A decision to cancel a scheduled Surrey Police Board public meeting has drawn criticism from Surrey First councillor and mayoral candidate Linda Annis, who has questioned whether the cancellation will prevent residents from receiving answers on several major policing issues.
Annis said the board’s September 24 meeting was cancelled shortly before Surrey’s October 17 municipal election and alleged that the move would prevent questions being raised about the transition to the Surrey Police Service, the search for a permanent chief constable and the departure of former Chief Constable Norm Lipinski.
The Surrey Police Board had previously announced that Lipinski left the Surrey Police Service in June and that Deputy Chief Constable Todd Matsumoto had been appointed interim chief. The board said at the time that it would begin the process of recruiting a permanent replacement. (Surrey Police Board)
Questions over police transition
Annis has argued that the police transition remains a significant issue for Surrey residents. She said she intended to ask the board about the expected completion of the transition and the timeline for appointing a new permanent chief.
She also questioned why further details about Lipinski’s departure have not been publicly released and raised concerns about the financial implications for taxpayers.
The Surrey Police Board has separately confirmed that it began recruiting a new chief constable in September. Its website lists the recruitment process among its current priorities. (Surrey Police Board)
Annis alleges lack of transparency
Annis described the cancellation as a matter of public accountability and accused the board and Mayor Brenda Locke of avoiding difficult questions ahead of the election.
She also criticized the city’s handling of the transition to the Surrey Police Service, alleging that political decisions have contributed to delays and increased costs.
Those claims are part of Annis’s political criticism of the current administration and were not independently established in the material provided.
The Surrey Police Board has described itself as an independent civilian oversight body for the Surrey Police Service. Its public records show that the board has continued to hold meetings and publish agendas, recordings and other documents throughout 2026. (Surrey Police Board)
The cancellation comes as policing and the Surrey Police Service transition remain prominent issues in the city ahead of the October 17 election.
