Vancouver, Surrey mayoral hopefuls make public safety promises

Less than a year before the next municipal election, a new poll suggests public safety is top of mind for many British Columbians.

While the municipal election is still 10 months away, some Metro Vancouver mayoral contenders are already offering campaign plans and promises.

On Monday, Amanda Burrows, the executive director of First United Church, announced she’s running for Vancouver mayor in 2016 under OneCity.

Burrows joins fellow OneCity mayoral hopeful William Azaroff, the CEO of Brightside Community Homes. Party members will be choosing between the two in February.

When asked for her stance on public safety, and whether she’d reduce the Vancouver Police Department budget if elected, Burrows said she believes safety belongs to everyone.

“If we actually invested in prevention, intervention, treatment, in raising incomes, then we would naturally see the type of public disorder that we see right now, go down,” she said.

“But currently, in this administration, all they care about is more and more money to a police budget—and not seeing the results of thriving communities where everybody’s safety matters.”

Balancing police and services

Asked what his plans would be, Azaroff answered that it was important to strike a balance between both investing in policing and funding community services.

“Libraries and community centers are public safety mechanisms, elder care programs, youth care programs, housing, all these things make our community safer,” he said.

“Even, you know, looking at climate change, making sure that people can survive in the future. Heat dome was a public safety issue, and I think we forget about that. So we have to keep investing in those services that make our communities vibrant and safer, as well as the police.”

A poll by Research Co. published Monday found most Metro Vancouver residents believe their municipal administrations are managing issues such as parks and recreations facilities well, but when it came to crime and public safety, the satisfaction rating was lower, hovering at 45 per cent.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has been a staunch supporter of the Vancouver Police Department.

At the Nov. 25 city council meeting to vote on the budget, the VPD received a $50 million boost for 2026, while other city programs face cuts.

Sim said he plans to run again next year.

One of his opponents will be his former campaign manager and Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate Kareem Allam.

Allam said if elected, he will prioritize shutting down Bitcoin ATM machines, and work to address money laundering.

“We know that the province of B.C. currently has two civil forfeiture cases against the Sinaloa drug cartel, but we need more,” he said.

“We need more focus on the proceeds of crime. That’s the issue. That’s what’s causing all the street havoc. That’s what’s causing the toxic drug crisis, is the unchecked, influence that the Sinaloa have here in Vancouver.”

‘Some scrutiny’

As for the VPD’s budget, Allam said, it has ballooned by $150 million in the last three years under Sim’s ABC majority on council.

He said while he supports policing, he questions whether Vancouverites are getting value for their money.

“I do think that putting some scrutiny on the police budget is fair,” he said.

Vote Vancouver mayoral candidate and current city councillor Rebecca Bligh echoed similar sentiments.

In an email to CTV News, Bligh said the city has spent a lot more on policing in recent years, but that doesn’t equate to people feeling safer.

“Police play an important role, but they can’t solve everything on their own,” she said.“A lot of what we’re seeing on our streets is connected to mental health, addiction, and people not having stable housing.”

Surrey candidate promises hundreds of officers

In Surrey, Mayor Brenda Locke said she will run again.

Locke was a long-time critic of the policing transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service.

Linda Annis, a city councillor and mayoral candidate for Surrey First, said if elected she will hire 300 SPS officers over a four-year period.

“I want a very visible police presence in our city, both for our residents and even more for our criminals,” she said.

“I want every criminal to know they are not welcome here in Surrey, and we will be doing everything to defend and protect our people and our neighborhoods.”

The municipal election will be held Oct. 17, 2026.