The Mounties are known for “always getting their man,” but they might not always get their way — a situation that’s unfolding in Surrey, where the province wants the RCMP to hand over its responsibilities to the newly formed Surrey Police Service.

This hotly contested and highly controversial move by the B.C. government — the Surrey mayor is vehemently opposed and wants to retain the RCMP — has made its way to the province’s Supreme Court. The case will likely have implications on how the Canadian Constitution applies to police reform.

It will also raise questions of national and practical importance: Should the RCMP be involved in municipal contract policing? Or is that role better left to the municipalities under provincial policing models? These questions illustrate an ongoing struggle between modern police reform and the old guard.