Langley RCMP’s Insp. Amrik Virk will head up the B.C. Liberal campaign for the riding of Surrey-Tynehead, the party announced Thursday.

Virk has been an RCMP officer since 1987 and has been an inspector since 2001.

He is one of two officers directly under Supt. Derek Cooke, the head of the Langley detachment.

“Surrey is a growing community, and people here want a government that shares their concerns about jobs, safety and family affordability,” Virk said in a statement.

The Surrey-Tynhead riding is currently held by the Liberals, but MLA Dave Hayer, who has held the seat since 2001, is stepping down. Hayer has said he’s been approached about running in federal politics, but has not said if he is seeking a move to Ottawa.

Virk came to the Langley RCMP in 2006, as the detachment’s operations officer.

He became quite prominent in 2007 as the Lower Mainland prepared for a possible major flood due to high snowpacks. Virk co-ordinated the RCMP’s response to the flood threat and talked to residents about possible evacuations and safety measures.

Outside of the RCMP, Virk has spent six years on the board of directors of the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation and is vice chair of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University board.