LETTER: Surrey Police Union speaks out after police board chair’s resignation
Published 4:00 pm Monday, June 15, 2026
Editor,
Members of the Surrey Police Union are deeply saddened by the resignation of Xwopokton (Chief Harley Chappell) from the Surrey Police Board.
Over the past five years, Chief Chappell has been far more than a board chair. He has been a teacher, a steady voice, and an inspirational leader during the creation of Surrey Police Service.
From the earliest days of SPS, Chief Chappell helped ensure Indigenous history, culture, ceremony, and understanding were meaningfully infused into the organization. He introduced cedar brushings at our swearing-in ceremonies. He led Circle of Understanding training for members. He helped implement the Cedar Award to recognize healers, guardians, and providers within our organization and community.
These felt natural and soon became part of SPS. They were not symbolic gestures; they shaped the culture of our organization.
At a time when reconciliation has often been challenging, complex, and at times contentious, for police organizations, Chief Chappell was able to influence our members in deeply positive ways. He helped many of us better understand the history of the lands we police, the responsibilities we carry, and the importance of approaching public service with humility, respect, and openness.
Those teachings and that influence lives on.
Policing organizations do not build culture through mission statements alone. They build culture through the people who guide them, challenge them, and help them become better. Chief Chappell did that for Surrey Police Service.
His influence at the inception of SPS will not be lost. It will remain part of who we are as an organization and part of the foundation on which this police service continues to grow.
Union members are proud that Chief Chappell served as our police board chair. We are grateful for his leadership, his teachings, his courage, and his integrity.
At a difficult moment in Surrey policing, he chose principle. That will not be forgotten by our members.
Ryan Buhrig, president, Surrey Police Union