Surrey Safety Forum Draws Community to Fight Extortion Surge
Father’s Day Forum Highlights Growing Public Safety Concerns
This Father’s Day, many dads chose to attend a crucial public safety forum in Surrey, held at a banquet hall with a recent history of violence. The gathering brought together concerned South Asian business owners, residents, and representatives from municipal, provincial, and federal levels to address the alarming rise in extortion threats targeting the community.
Business Owners Share Harrowing Extortion Stories
Surrey businessman Satish Kumar, one of the forum’s organizers, revealed that two businesses connected to him were recently shot at amid ongoing extortion calls. He shared chilling messages from alleged extortionists, including threats like, “You’re not replying, right? Now you’re going to die. You’re next.” Another warned of a $2 million debt with a final deadline: “If you don’t respond, get ready to die.”
Political Leaders Speak Out on Organized Crime
Over two hours, key figures including B.C.’s Public Safety Minister Garry Begg, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, local MPs, MLAs, Surrey Police Chief Norm Lipinski, and RCMP Chief Superintendent Wendy Mehat addressed the crowd. Begg emphasized the complexity of organized crime, noting it’s a multi-jurisdictional problem affecting communities nationwide, not just Surrey.
“Our government is standing with you,” Begg assured, highlighting over $100 million invested annually in enforcement and intelligence programs targeting gangs and illicit activities. He urged anyone facing extortion threats to report immediately, stressing that such information is critical to investigations.
Mayor Locke Sounds Alarm on Surrey’s Public Safety
Locke called the situation a “public safety crisis” and criticized the current policing efforts. “Policing Surrey is at risk today,” she declared, directing a pointed message to provincial leaders. She stressed that Surrey is not an experiment and that the province must take responsibility for ensuring adequate protection.
Locke urged residents to speak up: “If you know something, say something.” She plans to petition Prime Minister Mark Carney with four key demands, including a real-time national dashboard for extortion incidents, increased RCMP funding, victim support guarantees, and a joint task force to assess the impact of Surrey’s police transition on organized crime.
Police Collaboration and Community Call to Action
Chief Lipinski acknowledged the ongoing police transition and close cooperation between Surrey Police Service and the RCMP. He revealed that extortion reports in Surrey have increased, with 10 incidents in the past six months alone, and likely more going unreported.
“It is my hope that through today’s forum, we can encourage more individuals to report these crimes and that as a community together we can show strength,” Lipinski said. He also addressed social media rumors, affirming police monitor online activity for investigative leads.
Recent Shooting Tied to Extortion Investigation
Satish Kumar linked the recent daylight shooting death of Abbotsford resident Satwinder Sharma in Surrey to extortion, though police have not officially confirmed this. Sgt. Freda Fong of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team described Sharma as having no criminal history and noted the incident appears targeted.
