Matsumoto was appointed on Friday \u2014 days before McCallum was to assume the mayoral position on Monday.<\/p>\n
SURREY \u2014 Mayor-elect Doug McCallum has decried the appointment of Todd Matsumoto as the Surrey Police Service\u2019s chief constable, calling it \u201cone last kick at Surrey\u201d by outgoing Mayor Brenda Locke.<\/p>\n
Matsumoto, who had been serving as interim chief since June following the abrupt termination of Norm Lipinski, was appointed on Friday \u2014 days before McCallum was to assume the mayoral position on Monday.<\/p>\n
In an Instagram post verified as legitimate by City of Surrey staff, McCallum called for a reversal of the appointment and the Surrey police board to be abolished and replaced by members chosen through a public process. The board was short two members since Harley Chappell and James Carwana resigned on June 2 over Lipinski\u2019s firing.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrenda Locke spent four years trying to sabotage the Surrey Police Service,\u201d McCallum said in the post, in which he claims Locke\u2019s \u201cboard picked Surrey\u2019s police chief behind closed doors so the council that replaced her would have no say. That is not civilian oversight. That is one last kick at Surrey on her way out the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCallum called on the province to remove the board, saying it was \u201cstacked with Brenda Locke\u2019s political cronies\u201d and appoint a new board through a public process.<\/p>\n
Perm Jawanda, chair of the Surrey police board, announced Matsumoto\u2019s hiring in a news release Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are confident Todd Matsumoto is the right leader to guide SPS forward as we continue building a strong, modern and effective police service for the people of Surrey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The board announced in September it had hired an executive search firm for a nationwide search for a new chief constable. But the board ultimately stuck with Matsumoto, who has about 30 years of experience in \u00admunicipal policing.<\/p>\n
Postmedia reached out to the board for comment but did not receive a receive before publication time.<\/p>\n
The Surrey police union said in a statement Matsumoto is \u201cthe right person for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lipinski filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court in September alleging his termination was \u201cunlawful\u201d and motivated by \u201cextraneous political considerations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The allegations have not been tested in court.<\/p>\n
Surrey officially transitioned from the RCMP to a municipal police force in November 2024, with city council voting in favour of transition in 2018 under then-mayor McCallum. Locke, McCallum\u2019s successor, was opposed to the transition, but was unable to block it.<\/p>\n