Statement from Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards

Surrey

2022-09-12 15:57 PDT

We are aware of a series of public social media posts, posted by an individual alleging he was racially profiled and pulled over for no reason by Surrey RCMP officers in the early morning hours of Sept 11. These are serious allegations.

Any person who believes the standard of police service has fallen short is strongly encouraged to report their concerns to us, so they can be fully reviewed and examined. There are several processes to ensure that a full and transparent review is conducted. This includes independent oversight through the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP, an independent agency that is not part of the RCMP.

Given the social media posts, I do feel it necessary, however, to clarify police actions for the purpose of maintaining public confidence in policing in Surrey, and the actions of our officers. This can be a delicate balance but I feel it is necessary in this instance.

 Observing provisions of the Privacy Act, I am limited as to the details I can provide in response to this social media posting.

I will clarify that a traffic stop was initiated due to one of our officer’s observing erratic driving behaviour over several blocks. I’m confident that the documentation served by police to the driver at the time outlines the reasons for the stop and any processes for dispute.

The file is well documented and based on what I have reviewed, I am satisfied the officers acted very reasonably and met RCMP service standards in this interaction. They were executing their duties to ensure public safety in the City of Surrey. Again, I cannot provide additional details as the driver remains entitled to his privacy in relation to this matter.

 A/Commr Brian Edwards, Officer in Charge Surrey RCMP
 

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