Surrey calls on Ottawa to declare extortion crimes a federal emergency

Surrey, B.C., is formally asking Ottawa to declare a federal state of emergency in response to a sharp rise in extortion, with 35 suspected incidents recorded in the city so far this month.

City council unanimously passed the motion, brought forward by Mayor Brenda Locke, during a public hearing Tuesday night.

“The City of Surrey is experiencing an acute and escalating crisis of organized extortion, intimidation, and targeted shootings resulting in fear, trauma, and economic harm to residents and business owners,” Locke said as she read the motion aloud.

Extortion has become a growing problem across parts of the Lower Mainland, including Surrey, Abbotsford and Delta, with threats and demands for money disproportionately affecting residents and business owners in South Asian communities.

Police data shows Surrey recorded 132 extortion attempts in 2025, with 49 involving gunfire directed at homes or businesses. Dozens of additional cases have been reported in neighbouring municipalities.

The motion directs the mayor’s office to request that the federal government either declare a national emergency or invoke “equivalent extraordinary federal measures” to deal with the crisis.

Among the requests is the appointment of a federal extortion commissioner to co-ordinate a national response, the deployment of additional RCMP federal organized crime units to Surrey, and faster removal of non-citizens charged or convicted of extortion, firearm offences or participation in organized extortion.

Council is also calling on Ottawa to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to restrict refugee claims linked to extortion-related criminal investigations. Another proposal asks the federal government to allow public identification of individuals charged, deported or wanted in connection with extortion offences, arguing it would improve deterrence and public awareness.

The motion further requests quarterly public reports from the federal government on the scale of extortion activity and progress toward addressing it.

Councillors spoke emotionally about the toll the crime wave has taken on residents.

“As a Surrey resident and a Canadian, I kind of feel like the federal laws have held us hostage in the city that we love,” said Coun. Pardeep Kooner. “It’s kind of hard to move through life always looking over your shoulder.”

We have requested comment from Canada’s Department of Public Safety.

Federal officials have previously acknowledged the seriousness of the issue. In September, the Canada Border Services Agency joined a provincial task force focused on extortion threats in B.C. In November, the federal government convened a trilateral summit with provincial and local partners to discuss enforcement, prevention and victim support.

At that time, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said governments were committed to disrupting organized crime networks and strengthening protections for victims.

Ottawa has provided $500,000 over two years for victim support initiatives and $200,000 to assist investigations outside the provincial task force. The federal government has also pointed to proposed legislation, including Bill C-14, which would tighten bail conditions and increase penalties for extortion-related offences.

Surrey officials say those measures are welcome but argue the scale and urgency of the crisis now demand a far stronger federal response.