As a local police service, we will be able to focus on the public safety issues that are a priority for the citizens of Surrey, and allocate resources to respond quickly to emerging trends. City and policing priorities will be aligned and, from the beginning, we will be accountable to the citizens we serve through a locally appointed police board. 

In November 2021, the first group of experienced SPS officers began working in the community beside Surrey RCMP officers. In 2022, our first class of new recruits started their training at the Justice Institute of BC. These new recruits will be the first officers to establish a lifelong policing career in Surrey, developing a deep understanding of the community they will serve.

SPS will grow with Surrey, able to respond quickly to its changing needs

SPS supports one of Canada’s fastest-growing and most diverse cities – and we will grow to become one of the country’s largest independent police services. Over the next couple of years, SPS will hire over 800 police officers. Most will be experienced, but we anticipate hiring and training roughly 100 new recruits as we grow.

Our policing model is founded in a culture of respectful community collaboration and engagement. From Day 1, our organization has set a goal of being diverse and inclusive, and to reflect the community we serve. We are building the partnerships that will help us address the social issues underlying systemic problems, and looking for long-term solutions to complex problems.

It’s an exciting time and a historic moment, both in policing and in the development of Surrey. Once SPS is fully operational, Surrey will have a municipal police service for the first time since 1951 – built from the ground up with the latest technology, training, and progressive practices – to specifically serve its needs.