Norm Lipinski, the former Chief of the Surrey Police Service (SPS), has taken legal action by filing a petition in the BC Supreme Court on Monday to challenge his abrupt dismissal by the SPS.
Lipinski, who had served as the chief since 2020, was unexpectedly removed from his position on June 1. Following his departure, the Surrey Police Board (SPB) confirmed the change without providing a specific reason for the decision.
In his petition, Lipinski is seeking a court declaration to invalidate any contractual clause that allowed the board to terminate his employment. Additionally, he is requesting the court to overturn his dismissal, claiming that he was not afforded proper procedural fairness.
According to Lipinski’s petition, he was dismissed without prior notice or the opportunity to address the board regarding the circumstances leading to his termination. He maintains that the decision to remove him was influenced by unrelated political factors and was not based on his performance or conduct.
Subsequent to Lipinski’s dismissal, former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum called for an independent police investigation to examine the reasons behind Lipinski’s termination and the subsequent resignations of two SPB directors.
It is important to note that the allegations mentioned in the petition have yet to be proven in court.
