Nearly two weeks after the ousting of Surrey Police Chief Norm Lipinski, the city is still not disclosing how much taxpayers will pay for his severance. The lack of transparency has drawn criticism from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and former mayor Doug McCallum.
City and Police Board Remain Silent
When asked by Postmedia News about details of Lipinski's severance amount, the City of Surrey refused to comment. In a statement, the city said, "The Surrey police board is a separate entity from the city and is responsible for employment matters involving Surrey Police Service personnel." The police board did not respond to Postmedia questions as of Wednesday afternoon.
Lipinski's termination was determined by the board during a closed meeting on May 29, and he was out the following Monday. A source close to the situation told Postmedia that Lipinski was given the option to resign or be terminated without cause by June 4. Board members initially announced Lipinski "left" his position, but later confirmed he was terminated without cause. Board director Hanne Madsen said the severance package was under negotiation and would be made public when the board releases its financial statement.
Taxpayer Advocacy Groups Demand Answers
Carson Binda, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, criticized the secrecy. "From the beginning, the Surrey police transition has been a big boondoggle for taxpayers. It's gone significantly over-budget, and there's been political interference from all levels of government. I think that's leaving taxpayers with really big bills to pick up," he said. Binda added, "Unfortunately, we've seen a lot of secrecy and dodged accountability when it comes to the Surrey police transition. So, I think this latest boondoggle is just a continuation of that pattern of secrecy. Taxpayers deserve answers, and we deserve answers now."
Resignations and Calls for Investigation
Following the board's decision, chair Harley Chappell resigned in protest, stating he was not present at the closed meeting and was not informed about the motion to terminate Lipinski. Days later, board director James Carwana also resigned. A source told Postmedia Carwana was the sole vote against terminating Lipinski.
Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum has called for an independent police probe into the firing and subsequent resignations. McCallum emphasized that the investigation should be conducted by an agency other than the RCMP, given interim board chair and city councillor Rob Stutt's history as a Mountie. "The people at the centre of this have spent four years fighting to keep the RCMP in Surrey. You cannot ask the same force to investigate the very people who championed it. Surrey deserves investigators with no stake in the outcome. That means an independent, major police service from outside this city, answerable to no one in Surrey politics," McCallum said in a news release.
The controversy continues to unfold as taxpayers await clarity on the financial implications of Lipinski's ouster.
