Surrey voted to move forward with the plan to maintain the RCMP

Brenda Locke, the mayor of Surrey, B.C., says the council has voted to revert its policing back to the RCMP, a move than will cost the city millions of dollars.

In a news conference at Surrey City Hall on Friday morning, Mayor Brenda Locke announced the decision, saying both SPS and RCMP deserve certainty about their future in the City of Surrey.

The B.C. government recommended in April that Surrey continue its transition to the independent Surrey Police Service, offering $150 million over five years to help the city cover costs, but saying it would not pay the estimated $72 million in severance for officers if council decided to revert back to the RCMP.