CANADA, June 16 - Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, has released the following statement about the City of Surrey’s report on the Surrey policing transition:

“As solicitor general, I am required to ensure effective and adequate policing in Surrey and across B.C. When people call the police, they need to be confident that help will arrive.

“I must be satisfied that the City of Surrey’s plan will ensure effective and adequate policing is maintained in Surrey and throughout the province. Once staff have been able to review the city’s report, I will be able to determine if the plan achieves this objective.

“The City of Surrey has offered their corporate report under a non-disclosure agreement. We will review all information provided by the city quickly to ensure that the people of Surrey remain safe.

“We continue to require a comprehensive plan from the city to meet the requirements I laid out as necessary. In the absence of such a plan, this could quickly destabilize an already precarious situation in Surrey and significantly decrease police presence in other areas of the province.

“I want to assure the people of Surrey, and all British Columbians, that I will fulfil my duty to keep our communities safe. People in Surrey want to be safe and they want this to be over.”