surrey council urges ottawa to declare state of emergency to combat extortions
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surrey is calling on ottawa to declare a state of emergency to combat an “acute and escalating” extortion crisis it says can’t be tackled by the municipal government and conventional police responses.
on monday night, surrey mayor brenda locke said a federal state of emergency or “equivalent extraordinary federal measures” are needed to address extortion-related shootings, threats and intimidation tactics that have plagued residents and businesses of b.c.’s fastest-growing city.
the surrey police service said it recorded 132 extortion attempts last year, including 49 cases that involved shootings. so far in 2026, there have been 36 reported extortions involving 21 victims, including 16 who had already been targeted in the past, and eight shootings. the extortions predominantly target surrey’s south asian community. but, at least one community leader has said many more extortion cases are not being reported to police.
among locke’s requests is the appointment of an extortion commissioner who would oversee the immediate addition of additional officers from rcmp federal organized crime and intelligence units to surrey, fast tracking the removal of non-canadians charged or convicted of extortion, firearms offences, or extortion-related crimes, and “expanding immediate detention and inadmissibility powers” under the immigration and refugee protection act.
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she also called for the public release of information of people charged with or deported for extortion-related offences as a way to raise awareness and increase deterrence.
surrey police at skyline auto group following an early morning shooting suspected to be extortion related on jan. 20, 2026.
nick procaylo
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the day after locke’s motion was passed unanimously by council, surrey police announced two men have been charged with firearms offences after officers patrolling an area of newton early monday heard what they believed was a gun shot fired around 3:50 a.m.
the officers were there as part of a program launched a few months ago where officers patrol neighbourhoods and business areas targeted by extortions and extortion-related shootings.
police identified and stopped a vehicle, and arrested two men. officers also found a loaded handgun inside the vehicle.
harshdeep singh, 20, has been charged with one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and one count of occupying a vehicle knowing a firearm was present. hanspreet singh, 21, has been charged with one count of occupying a vehicle knowing a firearm was present.
both men are in custody until a bail hearing on friday.
surrey police spokesman staff sgt. lindsey houghton said officers have been canvassing the area looking for damage, but have not identified a target. no victims have come forward.
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police are seeking security and dashcam video in the area and plan to conduct scientific tests on the gun as it investigates whether the incident is linked to extortion-related violence.
houghton said he hopes the charges “provide some measure of reassurance that we have extra officers out there.”
while extortion investigations are challenging due to the international nature of the cases, “a shots fired incident that’s happening on our street is sometimes easier to investigate,” he said. “as this progresses, hopefully we’ll see more criminal charges against these two individuals.”
on monday night, locke said the extortions have created fear, trauma and economic harm to residents and business owners.
“it’s crucial we do this now and quickly in our city,” she told council before introducing her motion.
locke praised b.c. public safety minister nina krieger for showing strong leadership in working with surrey to combat extortions.
the provincial government has authorized funding and other resources, including dedicated prosecution teams working directly with police on extortion-related investigations, said locke. the province has also responded to the city’s request to expedite the b.c. prosecution service’s charge-approval process.
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coun. harry bains said surrey is in crisis and the issue “can only be solved by collaboration and co-operation by all levels of government, not finger pointing.”
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