SURREY — The police board in Surrey, B.C., has confirmed that its chief constable is no longer with the police service.

The board said in a release on Tuesday that Norm Lipinski has been replaced by Deputy Chief Const. Todd Matsumoto, who has been appointed to the top post on an interim basis.

The board also said it will begin looking for a permanent chief, with updates coming in the next few weeks.

No reason was given for the change in leadership.

“We want to assure our partners and all community members that we remain focused on protecting public safety and providing uninterrupted service delivery to the community,” the police board statement said, adding it is confident in the continued professionalism of all personnel with the service.

Lipinski was named the chief constable in November 2020 and had previously served as deputy police chief in the neighbouring city of Delta and as an assistant commissioner with the RCMP.

He oversaw Surrey’s transition from the RCMP to its own municipal police force, a process that was contentious as Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke tried unsuccessfully to reverse the transition back to the Mounties.

Locke said in a statement that she is confident that the police board has a plan in place for the leadership transition while thanking Lipinski for his service.

“As mayor, my focus remains public safety, and I look forward to working with interim Chief Todd Matsumoto during this transition period,” Locke said.

The city has been beset by extortion-related violence this year targeting the South Asian community, while another recent spasm of deadly gang violence has led to criticism of the force from the mayor about diverting resources from the gang squad.

B.C. Premier David Eby said at an unrelated news conference on Tuesday that his government’s priority remains the maintenance of stable policing in Surrey during the leadership transition.

Eby said he told Locke a few months ago that the provincial government has been “too involved” in the Surrey policing issue “for too long” and it was time for local government to take responsibility.

He said that Locke agreed with the assessment, and the municipal government has worked with the province on filling out the police board in order to make local decisions, such as who the chief should be.

“It’s important for them to let us know what their plan is here, given the amount of speculation that’s currently taking place,” Eby said in reaction to the departure of Lipinski.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2026.