Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is calling on the federal government to declare a national state of emergency, warning Ottawa that existing measures have failed to stop a growing extortion crisis threatening public safety in Surrey and other Canadian communities.
Speaking at a Surrey city council meeting Monday night, Locke presented a motion urging immediate federal intervention. Council supported the motion unanimously.
Locke said Surrey is facing an escalating pattern of organized extortion, intimidation, and targeted shootings, leaving residents and business owners fearful and unsafe.
“Surrey is facing a serious and growing crisis of organized extortion, intimidation and targeted shootings,” Locke said. “Residents and business owners are living in constant fear. Public safety is at risk, and the social and economic impact is real.”
The mayor said the city has now entered the third year of the crisis. Despite ongoing police and provincial efforts, Locke said extortion linked to organized and transnational crime continues unchecked.
Her motion calls on the federal government to either declare a national state of emergency or invoke equivalent extraordinary measures. Such a declaration would provide temporary additional powers to respond to the crisis.
Central to the proposal is the appointment of a Commissioner for Extortion Violence Against Canadians. The commissioner would oversee a coordinated national response and the rollout of enforcement measures.
Those measures include the immediate deployment of additional RCMP officers, federal organized crime units, and intelligence resources to Surrey. Locke also wants the federal RCMP to lead a joint federal, provincial, and municipal task force with authority to respond quickly to extortion related violence.
Immigration enforcement is another key component. The motion calls for expedited removal of non citizens charged or convicted of extortion, firearms offences, or involvement in extortion related criminal activity. It also urges expanded detention and inadmissibility powers under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Locke’s proposal further calls for a review of legislative gaps limiting police and prosecutorial capacity, coordinated financial investigations tied to extortion crimes, and quarterly public reporting on the severity of extortion activity and enforcement progress.
The motion also supports public release of information identifying individuals charged with or deported for extortion related offences, aimed at increasing public awareness and deterrence.
“We need a full scale national effort,” Locke said. “We need to restore public safety, protect our community, and take organized crime off our streets.”
Locke said the federal government must now take full leadership, warning that without decisive national action, the crisis will continue to grow.
