The Safe Surrey Coalition represents a serious response to the growing problems of crime and insecurity infiltrating the streets of our city. Faced with a Mayor and City Council that continues to show a complete lack of understanding for the needs of the community, the Safe Surrey Coalition has come together to offer citizens a clear plan and a decisive commitment to take immediate action.
Led by Mayoral candidate Doug McCallum who proudly served the City of Surrey as Mayor for 9 years, the Safe Surrey Coalition encompasses a group of candidates with diverse community involvement, political affiliations and professional backgrounds, who are united by one overpowering concern: Public Safety.
The priorities of Surrey residents are unmistakable. In a March 2014 poll conducted by Insights West, the views of residents were heard loud and clear:
In response, Councillor Linda Hepner launched her campaign to be Mayor by stating that “just a ferris wheel” on the waterfront was a “vision that I would like to see happen…because that’s what moves you to greatness.”
Councillor Barinder Rasode, a member of Surrey First for 5.5 years, has voted for every Police Committee meeting she has attended since 2008 to remain closed to the public. Her performance on the issue of crime was described in an April 2014 email by current Mayor Dianne Watts to all of Council:
“As Chair of the Police Committee and holder of the Public Safety Portfolio for years you never once mentioned…nor did you bring any of these issues of ‘concern’ to Council or to the Police Committee over those years. Not until Julie’s death and then chose to do it through the media and still to this day you have not brought this ‘issue’ forward at a Council meeting or budget meeting or the Police Committee.”
Personal politics of ambition and division are the wrong direction for Surrey. The time for action is now.
The Safe Surrey Coalition is proud to present our Public Safety Platform for consideration by the citizens of Surrey. This is the first of several policy proposals that will be released over the coming months.
Due to an Access to Information request filed by Doug McCallum, Surrey residents discovered that on any given shift, there are only 36 uniformed RCMP officers on patrol. This equals 1 officer for every 14,156 residents in Surrey. This is one of the lowest ratios the Metro Vancouver.
Doug McCallum served proudly as a Surrey City Councillor between 1993-1996 and as Mayor of Surrey between 1996-2005. He also sat as the Chair of Translink from 2002-2005, a Director of the Big Cities Mayors’ Caucus, and currently sits as a …
Doug McCallum served proudly as a Surrey City Councillor between 1993-1996 and as Mayor of Surrey between 1996-2005. He also sat as the Chair of Translink from 2002-2005, a Director of the Big Cities Mayors’ Caucus, and currently sits as a …
Doug McCallum served proudly as a Surrey City Councillor between 1993-1996 and as Mayor of Surrey between 1996-2005. He also sat as the Chair of Translink from 2002-2005, a Director of the Big Cities Mayors’ Caucus, and currently sits as a Director on the Law Foundation of BC.
He was able to clean up the crime-ridden town centre of Whalley by taking aggressive stances on drug houses, increasing the police presence on the streets, and ensuring that all criminal activity was taken seriously and met with swift action.
Doug showed respect for the residents of Surrey by freezing property taxes for 9 years. The City of Surrey also reached unprecedented levels of growth and prosperity through property development and investment.
His return to run as the Mayoral candidate as part of the Safe Surrey Coalition is fuelled by a growing divide between the current Mayor and Council and the needs of Surrey citizens. Ineffective strategies on crime and public safety, blatant examples of fiscal waste and mismanagement, and growing anger over unequal treatment of neighbourhoods, require immediate change and tangible action of how to improve Surrey’s fortunes.
The ability of any one individual to have an impact begins with a decision to stand up and make a difference.
Surrey is our community. The time for leadership is now.
Doug McCallum is ready for that commitment.
“Since 2003, the City of Surrey has the worst performance of the nine largest municipalities in BC in lowering criminal code offences, and is the only city in the region to see an increase in violent crime. Public safety is Surrey’s top priority in this election, and the chain of accountability must once again flow directly from the Mayor’s office.”
“The new City Hall will cost residents close to $150 million. The Surrey City Development Corporation spent $20 million of public money to invest in a brewery and even more to compete with private sector development. Property taxes have increased close to 3 per cent every year since 2003, but services have not improved for Surrey residents. Respect for taxpayers’ needs must once again guide Surrey’s next set of elected representatives.”
“Surrey has become the showcase for the best that BC has to offer – a multicultural landscape that is strong and vibrant, a business community that is the heart of the city’s growth and competitiveness, and a kind and considerate population that is a model for community spirit.
But unless we take immediate action to tackle the growing pains the City of Surrey is currently facing, we are risking our chance at a future that is healthy, dynamic and sustainable.”
Laurie Guerra is a 25-year resident of Surrey that views the local community as an extension her immediate family. Living in the Fleetwood area with her husband and five children, Laurie built simultaneous careers in real estate and yoga instruction …
Laurie Guerra is a 25-year resident of Surrey that views the local community as an extension her immediate family. Living in the Fleetwood area with her husband and five children, Laurie built simultaneous careers in real estate and yoga instruction …
Laurie Guerra is a 25-year resident of Surrey that views the local community as an extension her immediate family. Living in the Fleetwood area with her husband and five children, Laurie built simultaneous careers in real estate and yoga instruction after achieving international success in the entertainment industry.
Laurie’s life forever changed when her son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of six. For the past 13 years, Laurie has been one of the province’s most vocal and involved autism advocates as a Director of the Autism Society of British Columbia, a facilitator for the Surrey Parent Support Group for the society, and the Chair of the Community Council for Surrey for the Ministry of Children and Family Development – Community Living.
Laurie recently became the captain of her neighbourhood Block Watch and enrolled in Athabasca University to pursue a political science degree at the age of 51. These are endeavours that show an enduring commitment to constant personal challenges and lifelong learning. Her decision to step forward as a City Council candidate for the Safe Surrey Coalition is a way to apply these life philosophies to improving the city she has called home for a quarter century.
“Things never get accomplished by complaining without action. If I want a different outcome or see a particular need in the community, I try to meet it with everything I have to offer.”
“A safe community begins with residents getting to know one another. It only takes a quick “hello” or a simple wave to turn strangers into neighbours and inspire people to look out for one another.”
“Surrey residents enjoy one of the most diverse communities in the country. Regardless of our distinct backgrounds, we are collectively bigger than our identities as individuals, and this is one of our city’s greatest strengths.”
Beau Simpson is a proud resident of Cloverdale’s Hillcrest area, husband to wife Kari, and father to two young children. The love of his family and community is the motivation behind his decision to run as a City Council candidate …
Beau Simpson is a proud resident of Cloverdale’s Hillcrest area, husband to wife Kari, and father to two young children. The love of his family and community is the motivation behind his decision to run as a City Council candidate …
Beau Simpson is a proud resident of Cloverdale’s Hillcrest area, husband to wife Kari, and father to two young children. The love of his family and community is the motivation behind his decision to run as a City Council candidate for the Safe Surrey Coalition, but his decorated 15-year career as a journalist is what guides his perspective.
Beau is the Editor of the Surrey Now newspaper, and for the past seven years he has been at the heart of local coverage for the city’s most difficult issues. Under his leadership, the paper has won a number of provincial and national awards, in addition to earning awards recognizing his own efforts. His community service project dubbed “Junior Journalists” earned Beau national recognition for not only grooming the next generation of media leaders, but also teaching a sense of citizenship and responsibility amongst young people.
Beau believes in a balanced perspective to public policy that attempts to understand and incorporate the many sides to every story. More specifically, his coverage of Surrey politics has witnessed the deterioration of this approach at City Hall, causing many communities like Cloverdale to feel isolated and ignored.
Beau is determined to bring equality and consideration back to Surrey’s civic representation.
“Being an editor requires an ability to listen to people’s concerns, ideas and input with an open mind. I believe that this is one of the most important skills that a politician can bring to the job of serving the interests and priorities of the community.”
“I have been trained with the understanding that information is at the heart of an effective democracy. This is why tough situations like Surrey’s recent troubles with crime and public safety require open and immediate disclosure to avoid putting the public at risk.”
“If you give youth the opportunity to shine, they will accept the challenge. It requires volunteers to run youth programs, politicians to provide ample resources, and citizens to recognize and applaud their efforts.”
Born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Justin Thind has immersed himself and his young family into the City of Surrey since being called to the Bar of British Columbia as a lawyer in 2006. He is a managing partner in a …
Born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Justin Thind has immersed himself and his young family into the City of Surrey since being called to the Bar of British Columbia as a lawyer in 2006. He is a managing partner in a …
Born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Justin Thind has immersed himself and his young family into the City of Surrey since being called to the Bar of British Columbia as a lawyer in 2006. He is a managing partner in a full service law group that is proud to be a part of the dynamic Surrey business community.
Justin uses his previous residency in many Surrey neighbourhoods including Newton, Cloverdale, Sullivan Station and Fleetwood, as well as his past career working in government, as the inspiration behind his decision to run for City Council as part of the Safe Surrey Coalition.
Simply put, whether in the Surrey Provincial Court, or at the neighbourhood level, Justin has witnessed the impacts of local crime first hand. He sees how Surrey’s growth is strongly encouraged by the current Mayor and Council, and yet the proper resources to deal with the issues attached to such rapid change have not kept pace. This also includes other voids like a lack of transit infrastructure, inaccessible community facilities for under privileged youth, and a problematic electoral system that prevents representatives from effectively speaking to the unique issues of different neighbourhoods.
As a husband, father, lawyer, business owner and concerned resident, Justin is motivated to put his name forward as a candidate on a number of levels.
“I understand the positive impact that municipal government can have in the lives of residents, so I find it very frustrating that this current Mayor and Council are more concerned with their political legacy than demonstrating leadership.”
“Surrey will become BC’s biggest city within the next decade, so it is essential to have civic representatives that work well with other levels of government. With the recent cuts to the RCMP gang task force and the ongoing absence of transit investment in Surrey, it doesn’t appear that we have those relationships.”
“I believe that the time has come for Surrey neighbourhoods to have representatives fighting for their specific interests at City Hall. All regions of Surrey deserve an equal voice at the table, and an advocate is always best when they can directly relate as a neighbour rather than simply as a politician.”
Surrey, BC – Faced with an ongoing crime wave that is being met with inaction by the current Surrey Mayor and Council, Mayoral candidate Doug McCallum unveiled the Safe Surrey Coalition and their Public Safety Platform Tuesday morning. Consisting of …
I recently became the captain of my neighbourhood’s new Block Watch program, which has really served to bring our tight-knit neighbourhood together like never before. I and my family have always been close to those that live on our block, …
As the editor of the Now Newspaper for the past 7 years, I constantly have to make decisions about what to publish in relation to the public good. I and the journalists I work with are constantly striving to offer …
Since November 24, 2008, which was the first Police Committee meeting held after the 2008 civic election, there has not been one dissenting vote recorded against any motion to close the respective meeting off to the public.
Both Linda Hepner and Barinder Rasode voted unanimously to close meetings in every vote they attended.
The new Surrey City Hall will end up costing taxpayers’ far more than the original quote provided by city officials. The initially quoted cost of $97 million will balloon to $145 million due to interest payments that will be spread out over the next 25 years. The budget is split into 2 mortgages, with one for $52 million at 4.2% and the other at $45 million at 2.9%.
If you would like more information about the Safe Surrey Coalition campaign, or would like to ask one of our candidates a question, please fill out the form below and we will be back in touch very quickly.
Can you help us phone through some up voters to help identify Safe Surrey Coalition supporters? Do you speak another language besides English? We can use your help in calling voters to identify our vote.
Is your home in a high traffic area? Would you like to have a Safe Surrey Coalition lawn sign to show your support?
Canvassing door to door as part of our Safe Surrey Coalition volunteer teams is essential to getting people out to vote on November 15. Whether it is door knocking with our candidates, or simply dropping pamphlets, this is a way for the Safe Surrey Coalition to expand our reach into the community.
