The Surrey Police Board says it has appointed Todd Matsumoto as chief constable, with the new role beginning Oct. 30.
The Story
The Surrey Police Board has appointed Todd Matsumoto to assume the role of chief constable starting Oct. 30, after he has served as interim chief constable since June.
Board chair Perm Jawanda called the appointment “an exciting day for Surrey Police Service,” saying the board is “confident Todd Matsumoto is the right leader to guide SPS forward” while continuing to build “a strong, modern and effective police service” for residents. Matsumoto said, “It is an honour to continue to serve and lead Surrey Police Service,” adding that his focus will include “transparency, consistent communication and relationship-based leadership.”
In its announcement, the board said the appointment followed a national search conducted by an executive search firm, and that Matsumoto has more than three decades of experience in municipal policing and public safety.
Mayor-elect Doug McCallum responded to the decision with a statement criticizing the timing and process, saying he objected to the appointment being announced on the last business day before new city council takes over Monday. McCallum said the matter was not listed on the agenda in a public meeting and that the board decided on Matsumoto’s appointment during a meeting on Oct. 22, with the next police board meeting after the new council coming in scheduled for Nov. 18.
McCallum further said Cheney Cloke, the board’s former vice-chair and now a councillor-elect, called on the Solicitor General to suspend the hiring until the court rules. In his statement, McCallum said, “Brenda Locke’s handpicked board doing exactly what it was built to do: carry out the mayor’s wishes after the voters have shown the mayor the door,” and described his concerns about the board’s actions around the appointment and past leadership.
McCallum said he would work with Matsumoto, noting the police union’s backing, but he also called for the dismissal of the entire Surrey Police Board. “Today I am calling on the Province to remove this entire board, every member of it, and appoint a new, non-partisan board through a public process, immediately,” McCallum said, adding that he believes the board acted behind closed doors before the newly elected council took office.
← More stories