Prior to the SPS's establishment, Surrey was Canada's largest city without a municipal police service.

[9][10] On October 20, 2018, Doug McCallum was elected as mayor after campaigning to remove the RCMP and return to a municipal police agency.

[14] On June 16, 2023, Surrey council voted to reaffirm its decision to reverse the transition and return to RCMP policing.

[17] In response, the BC Legislative Assembly passed the Police Amendment Act, 2023, which enables the Solicitor General to compel the Surrey government into completing the transition and terminating their contract with the RCMP.

[19] On May 23, 2024, the BC Supreme Court dismissed the city's lawsuit, ruling that the new provincial law mandating that Surrey replace the RCMP with the SPS, was constitutional.

SPS maintains three bureaus, each managed by a Deputy Chief Constable:[22][24] Brenda Locke, the current mayor, has opposed the transition to a municipal police force since 2022.

This group attempted to force a province-wide referendum on the issue in 2021, but failed to secure enough signatures for the vote to proceed.