At least one city councillor wants to know why the city hosted a public engagement meeting about Surrey Police at a Sikh place of worship.
Coun. Jack Hundial is expected to ask city staff on Monday night why one of the meetings of public engagement was held at a Sikh gurdwara.
Coun. Jack Hundial
“Places of worship were used, and just want to know why?” Hundial said in an interview with Pulse FM prior to the meeting. He added he had not yet asked city staff about that. “I will tonight though.”
He said his concerns with it are that the information sessions should have been more equitably distributed.
“I think it has to be fair and balanced across the city,” Hundial said. “If you’re going to look at one demographic, or particular group, you have to look at all of them.”
Asked if he felt they should have been held at Catholic churches and other temples, he said that wouldn’t be necessary.
“It’s not even a religious issue, it’s what is the reason for it being there,” Hundial said. “That’s my question, and I don’t have an answer for that yet.”
Asked if he has discussed it with the mayor, Hundial said he hadn’t and would direct his questions to staff.
Requests for comment from Mayor Doug McCallum weren’t responded to at time of posting this story.
Hundial was commenting on a corporate report expected to be considered by Surrey council at it’s regular meeting on Monday night.
He’s also concerned that questions raised by the public at the engagement meetings have not been adequately answered.
“I think one of the overall questions was `why are we doing this?’ and `what is the cost?’” Hundial said.
He is also concerned that polling information included in the report did not indicate whether those taking part were from Surrey or elsewhere.
Since polling numbers were released, some councillors have felt that many residents from Vancouver have been skewing the numbers.
Hundial left the Mayor’s ruling Safe Surrey Coalition last week to sit as an independent. One of his main reasons why, he said, is how the transition to a Surrey Police Department has been handled.
More to come as the issue is addressed Monday night.