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The city also needs to establish a police budget and have it approved by council.

Mayor Doug McCallum has promised the municipal forcewill be running by April 1, 2021. He has estimated that about 60 per cent of the city’s RCMP officers would take jobs with the new department.

“The reason that we will have a lot apply is because their families live here. Surrey is a great place to bring up families, and they want to be in the community that they work in,” McCallum told reporters Thursday.

Sauvé said he couldn’t possibly estimate how many RCMP members hope to transition and doesn’t know how the mayor came to such an “aggressive” number, given that members aren’t certain yet how the change would effect them.

“Right now, no one can tell you what they’re getting into,” he said.

The city has said salary and benefits will be in keeping with other municipal departments, and the collective agreements will also be similar.

In Vancouver, a police constable starts with a probationary salary of $70,154 and earns $100,220 after four years, according to the department’s recruiting site. They start with two weeks paid holidays and reach four weeks by the eighth year. Benefits include medical, dental and membership in the municipal pension plan.

An RCMP constable starts much lower at $53,144 and earns $86,110 after three years. Vacation starts at 15 days a year for the first five years and increases incrementally to 30 days after 23 years of service. Benefits include medical, dental and family health plans, and group life insurance.