Surrey will formally be policed by a new, municipal force as of November

The new municipal Surrey Police Service will become the force in charge of the city on Nov. 29, a date Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said is part of providing certainty as his government transitions Surrey away from the RCMP over the objections of the mayor and city council.But Mr. Farnworth’s announcement still leaves unanswered how the two forces will work together during the lengthy time it will take to transition completely. Mr. Farnworth said Tuesday the SPS will not be giving orders to any RCMP officer, but RCMP officers will remain the majority of the force for likely two years or more.The two police groups will “work together under a collaborative arrangement” that respects the complex federal and provincial legal agreements related to the chain of authority for the RCMP, Mr. Farnworth said.