Surrey police chief’s reported ousting appears ‘politically motivated,’ mayoral hopeful says

Chief Norm Lipinski listens during a news conference at Surrey Police Service headquarters on Nov. 29, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

The reported ousting of Surrey’s police chief appears to be a “politically motivated” decision that creates uncertainty for B.C.’s second-largest city, according to mayoral hopeful Linda Annis.

The Surrey Police Board confirmed Tuesday that Chief Norm Lipinski “has left” the Surrey Police Service, and that Deputy Chief Todd Matsumoto has been appointed interim chief until a permanent successor can be identified.

“We want to assure our partners and all community members that we remain focused on protecting public safety and providing uninterrupted service delivery to the community,” the board said in a statement.

“The board will shortly initiate a recruitment process for a new chief constable and will share further information regarding that process in the coming weeks.”

No further information on the circumstances of Lipinski’s departure—which was reported to have happened under pressure from the board—was provided.

Annis slammed the news that Lipinski had been pushed out, noting it follows years of Mayor Brenda Locke’s open opposition to Surrey’s transition away from the RCMP to its municipal police department.

“When she was first elected, she told the SPS to stop hiring new officers, then she took the provincial government to court, and a few weeks ago she cut the police budget by $47 million, just when we need our Surrey Police Service the most,” Annis said in a statement Tuesday.

“Chief Lipinski’s termination by the mayor’s recent handpicked police board is another tragic example of how her political interference and personal vendetta against our local police department is making our city unsafe.”

CTV News reached out to Locke for an interview, but has only received a statement attributed to the mayor.

“I want to thank Chief Lipinski for his service to the city and the Surrey Police Service over the last five years. As mayor, my focus remains public safety, and I look forward to working with Interim Chief Todd Matsumoto during this transition period,” Locke wrote in the statement.

“I am confident that the Surrey Police Board has a plan in place that will continue to prioritize keeping our neighbourhoods safe, while supporting the SPS to become a Canadian leader in trusted, modern, and responsive policing.”

The statement did not address any of the comments made by Annis.

In 2023, while Locke was chair of the Surrey Police Board, she expressed a lack of confidence in Lipinski as police chief. Locke was removed from that role months later, when the B.C. government suspended the entire board and appointed an administrator in its place.

Surrey’s policing transition remains underway, with the process expected to be completed—meaning the department no longer requires help from the RCMP’s Provincial Operations Support Unit—by next year.

That timeline depends on the “pace of SPS hiring, infrastructure development, and file transfer,” according to the department’s website.

Union surprised by news

The president of the Surrey Police Union only learned of the leadership change Monday evening through rumours and media reports, according to a memo obtained by CTV News.

Sgt. Ryan Buhrig told membership he found the developments concerning, especially in the broader context of issues he has previously raised with the board.

“I advised them that staffing shortages have reached critical levels in many areas of the organization. Overtime shifts are routinely going unfilled. Members are experiencing increasing fatigue and burnout,” Buhrig wrote in the memo.

“Development opportunities are being cancelled because of staffing shortages. Wellness resources are strained. Morale continues to deteriorate.”

Buhrig also raised the issue of the $47 million reduction in the SPS budget.

“Many members no longer believe the organization has the staffing, resources, or operational support necessary to sustain the current pace of transition safely and effectively,” he said.

While the city has faced a troubling rash of extortion-related threats, Lipinski has boasted of progress since the beginning of the year—recently revealing there were 20 such incidents reported in April, down from 44 in January, but up from the 14 reported in March.

There were also two extortion-related shootings in April, down from 10 in January and three in March.

Annis said the chief and Surrey police officers have done “an incredible job in the face of the mayor’s constant opposition, interference and budget cuts.”

It’s unclear how much severance pay Lipinski might be entitled to at the taxpayers’ expense.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Kraig Krause