Eighty one per cent of Surrey residents want to keep the RCMP, according to a poll released Monday morning.

The telephone survey of 400 people was conducted between Sept. 6 to 8 using live interviewers over telephone.

The Survey indicates 86 per cent of those polled are very favourable or somewhat favourable of keeping the RCMP in Surrey.

Five per cent were somewhat unfavourable, and the same number were very unfavourable. Seven per cent didn”t know, while one per cent refused to answer the question.

Additionally, 54 per cent of those asked oppose getting rid of the RCMP in favour of the municipal police force, as has been strongly endorsed by Mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition on council.

The poll further asked people if they would support keeping the RCMP, but with a local police board.

A total of 64 per cent of those asked supported that idea, with only 27 per cent opposed.

It’s a stark difference from an online poll released some time ago that indicated 93 per cent of those asked were in favour of switching to a municipal police force.

The same poll indicated heading in the wrong direction.

Of those asked, 42 per cent felt Surrey is on the wrong track, while 37 per cent felt the city was heading in the right direction.

The poll also to direct aim at Mayor Doug McCallum.

The survey indicated that 42 per cent of those asked ranked their opinion of the mayor as somewhat of very unfavourable, while only 32 per cent slated him as somewhat of very favourable. Six per cent didn’t recognize the name, while 14 per cent didn’t know and two per cent refused to answer.

The Survey was conducted by Maple Leaf Strategies and was commissioned by the group, Keep RCMP in Surrey.”

Surrey Police Issues Study Sept 2019 – Final Release (3)[11979] by Kevin Diakiw on Scribd