British Columbia is facing a serious and escalating extortion crisis, particularly in Surrey and parts of the Lower Mainland. Businesses are being threatened, shots are being fired, and fear is becoming normalized. In response, Premier David Eby has announced new advisory groups and coordination measures.
While these announcements may be well-intentioned, they are increasingly seen by the public as political management rather than decisive action. The core issue is not a lack of advice or communication; it is a lack of enforcement capacity and strong legislation to confront international organized crime.
People are not angry because government is acting.
They are angry because it feels like government is acting around the problem, not at the problem.
The Fundamental Mismatch: International Crime vs. Local Tools
The extortion networks operating today are not local, small-scale criminal operations. They are:
- transnational in nature
- linked to overseas handlers
- using encrypted communications
- leveraging international money-laundering routes
- exploiting immigration, bail, and jurisdictional loopholes
This is organized crime at a global scale.
Against that reality, reliance on advisory committees and municipal-level responses appears fundamentally misaligned with the threat.
Why Advisory Committees Fail in High-Threat Criminal Environments
- Advisory Committees Have No Enforcement Power
Advisory committees can:
- review
- recommend
- discuss
- coordinate messaging
They cannot:
- investigate syndicates
- execute arrests
- conduct wiretaps
- seize assets
- coordinate international intelligence
- disrupt funding pipelines
In cases involving intimidation, extortion, and firearms, advice does not deter criminals. Only the certainty of enforcement does.
- Surrey Police Service Is Not Built for International Organized Crime
This is not a criticism of individual officers. It is a structural reality.
The Surrey Police Service is:
- a municipal police force
- still in an institution-building phase
- primarily designed for local crime, community policing, and city-level enforcement
International extortion requires:
- foreign intelligence coordination
- federal surveillance authorities
- long-term undercover operations
- cross-border warrants
- financial intelligence expertise
- coordination with CBSA, FINTRAC, Interpol, and allied agencies
These capabilities do not naturally exist at the municipal level.
- The RCMP Already Has the Mandate and Infrastructure
The RCMP:
- is Canada’s federal police force
- has Serious and Organized Crime units
- maintains international liaison officers
- has experience dismantling transnational networks
- works directly with federal and international partners
Calls for an RCMP-led response are not ideological ; they are operationally logical.
When crime crosses borders, policing must do the same.
Advisory Structures Dilute Accountability
A major flaw in advisory-heavy responses is blurred responsibility.
When violence continues:
- Politicians say police were advised
- Police say jurisdiction is complex
- Committees say recommendations were made
But citizens ask a simple question:
“Who is actually responsible for stopping this?”
Right now, the answer is unclear and that erodes public trust.
Why the Public Feels This Is “Politics Over Protection”
The Premier has used strong language, even calling extortion-linked violence “terror-like.” But rhetoric must be matched with structural action.
From the public’s perspective:
- Committees look like delay
- Messaging looks like optics
- Incremental governance tweaks look like avoidance
People don’t want reassurance.
They want results.
What Strong Action Would Actually Look Like
(Practical, Not Theoretical)
- RCMP-Led Federal Command on Organized Extortion Investigations
- RCMP to lead all extortion and organized crime files in Surrey
- SPS to provide local operational support, not primary command
- A unified federal task force with real authority
- Emergency Legislative Measures
- Tougher bail provisions for extortion, firearms, and organized crime offences
- Mandatory minimum sentences for aggravated extortion
- Expanded wiretap and surveillance authority for organized crime cases
- Faster asset seizure and forfeiture laws
Criminal law is federal; Ottawa must be pushed to act.
- Close Immigration and Refugee Exploitation Loopholes
- Immediate review of cases where organized crime suspects exploit immigration processes
- Fast-track removals where legally permissible
- Stronger coordination between RCMP, CBSA, and IRCC
- Financial Warfare Against Extortion Networks
- Aggressive use of FINTRAC intelligence
- Freezing and seizure of properties, vehicles, and businesses linked to extortion
- Targeting money flows, not just foot soldiers
- Clear Public Accountability Framework
- One lead agency
- One public reporting mechanism
- Transparent metrics: arrests, charges, convictions, asset seizures
- No more diffusion of responsibility
Conclusion: Advice Is Not a Substitute for Authority
Advisory committees have a role in long-term policy development — not in crisis response to international organized crime.
The people of Surrey are not asking for perfection.
They are asking for decisive, competent, and proportional action.
Until enforcement matches the scale of the threat, frustration will continue — and trust will continue to erode.
This is no longer about politics or policing models.
It is about public safety and state credibility.
