Norm Lipinski files wrongful dismissal suit against City of Surrey after June termination

The Story

Former Surrey Police Service Chief Norm Lipinski has filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the City of Surrey, alleging he was terminated from the job without cause in June, according to court documents.

In the filing, Lipinski alleges the purported termination was motivated by factors described as “extraneous political considerations,” and that it was “disconnected from Chief Lipinski’s conduct or competence.” The documents further state the dismissal was not carried out in accordance with common law, the Police Act, or requirements set out by the police board’s governance structure.

The documents also indicate that the termination did not follow the legal and governance requirements Lipinski says applied to the role, framing the dispute as both a dismissal without cause and an administrative process that did not meet statutory and governance standards.

Lipinski served as chief since 2020, including overseeing the transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service, a change that required major operational and organizational planning for policing in the city.

The filing comes as the dispute moves into the court process, where the allegations have not yet been proven. The factual issues will be determined through legal proceedings, including any responses filed by the City of Surrey and the Surrey Police Board.

The City of Surrey and the Surrey Police Board were contacted for comment, but no response is included in the available materials. As a result, the specific reasons for the June termination, and the parties’ position on the allegations, were not confirmed in the information provided.

Research gap: The provided material does not include the lawsuit’s filing date in court, the specific remedies or damages sought, or whether related documents were also filed against the police board or other parties. Additional verified court records would be needed to confirm those details.