---
title: "Surrey Police Board names Todd Matsumoto chief constable; McCallum calls for board's removal"
description: "The Surrey Police Board appointed Todd Matsumoto permanent chief constable on October 30, hours before the new council takes office, prompting mayor-elect Doug McCallum to demand the Province replace every board member."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/surrey-2026/news/surrey-police-board-names-matsumoto-chief-mccallum-demands-new-board"
last_updated: "2026-10-31T17:02:55.163Z"
---

Surrey Police Board named Todd Matsumoto permanent chief constable on October 30, 2026, the last business day before mayor-elect [Doug McCallum](/bc/surrey-2026/candidates/doug-mccallum) and the new council take office. McCallum condemned the timing and called on the Province to dissolve the entire board, while also pledging to support Matsumoto in the role.

"The only reason to do this on Friday was to do it before Monday," McCallum said in a statement reported by the Surrey Now-Leader. He described the decision as "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."

McCallum called 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 says he will support Matsumoto**

McCallum said he would support Matsumoto in the role while directing his criticism at the board. "The union stands behind him, he will have my support and SPS officers will get the helicopter, drones and resources I promised," he said.

That commitment directly touches one of his campaign promises: equipping Surrey Police Service with a helicopter and a fleet of drones within 90 days of taking office. Surrey residents can follow whether he delivers on that and other promises at [/bc/surrey-2026/tracker](/bc/surrey-2026/tracker).

Surrey Police Union president Sgt. Ryan Buhrig also backed the appointment, calling Matsumoto "the right person for the job" and describing it as "a positive signal to our members on the bright future of SPS."

**Matsumoto's background**

Matsumoto has served with Surrey Police Service since February 2021. He began his policing career with the New Westminster Police Department in 1993. He has been serving as interim chief since June 2026, when the board ended founding chief Norm Lipinski's contract eight months into a renewed ongoing term.

Police Board chair Perm Jawanda described the appointment as the result of "a comprehensive national search process" that included community and stakeholder engagement. "We are confident Todd Matsumoto is the right leader to guide SPS forward," Jawanda said.

Matsumoto said his focus as permanent chief would be "transparency, consistent communication and relationship-based leadership."

**The Lipinski court petition**

The appointment follows an unresolved legal dispute. Former chief Norm Lipinski filed a petition in BC Supreme Court on September 28, 2026, asking the court to overturn his dismissal. He claims his firing was "motivated by extraneous political considerations disconnected from Chief Lipinski's conduct or competence," according to the Surrey Now-Leader. No court has ruled on that claim.

The new Council is sworn in on Monday, November 2, 2026, at Surrey City Hall. Residents who want to follow the new council's decisions on policing can track McCallum's commitments at [/bc/surrey-2026/tracker](/bc/surrey-2026/tracker).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/surrey-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.