Surrey residents rally against wave of violent, extortion-related crimes

Business owners and community members rallied in Surrey Sunday to voice their displeasure with the wave of violence that has descended over the Lower Mainland since the start of the year —and earlier.

In the first month of the year, police in Surrey, Delta, and Abbotsford have reported investigating dozens of extortion-related crimes, many involving shots fired at homes or storefronts.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!

As of Monday, Jan. 26, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) says it has received 36 reports of extortion, affecting 21 victims, and including eight shootings since the start of the year.

Condemning vigilante justice, the Surrey Police Service is also investigating one shooting, in which one or more of the occupants of a targeted home allegedly shot back at their assailants.

On Sunday, residents rallied as another way to stand up for themselves.

One rallier, a Surrey business owner whose identity CityNews is protecting, says he was recently targeted by extortionists. He says the shots fired at his storefront have put his livelihood in question.

“I am not getting enough customers, how will I pay the rent? How will I pay the taxes, how will I pay the car installment, how will I pay my house?”

Others in the community, though not directly targeted by extortion threats, say they’re still feeling the impacts, including Kartar Dhillon, whose next-door neighbour was threatened.

“It’s possible that one stray bullet comes and hits our house as well,” said Dhillon.

“So I have very clearly told my kids not to sit in front of the house, whether they sit, or study, or play, they should be doing it at the back of the house.”

Former Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum attended the rally Sunday, with ideas to tackle the problem.

“The police have got to react quicker. That’s why we need a helicopter,” said McCallum.

Also at the rally, Independent MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale Elenore Sturko joined Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke’s call for federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree to appoint a national commissioner to address extortion.

“Somebody who can identify those gaps in ministries like public safety, immigration, justice, to make sure that if our laws aren’t aligned in a way that can make us successful — we need to do that right away,” said Sturko.

Meanwhile, the rally’s organizer, Garry Purewal, is advocating for legislative changes.

“Bring in stand your ground laws, bring in castle law, which people can protect themselves,” said Purewal.

“There’s a choice between, ‘You want to live here, and die? Or move out?'”

Encouraged by Sunday’s turnout, Honveer Randhawa, a former BC Conservative candidate for Surrey-Guildford, pointed to the effect of the stigma surrounding extortion.

“The more this remains private, that is why I believe the chief of RCMP feels like this is not a crisis,” said Randhawa, referencing RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer’s refusal to use the term ‘crisis’ while providing an update on the BC Extortion Task Force last week.

While there’s still debate over how exactly officials should move forward, there’s a broad consensus that more needs to be done, and urgently, as the community questions how it can function in the face of violence.

“This is our city,” said Dhillon. “This is our place, this is where we live. Government needs to act on this, so this is addressed.”

—With files from Cecilia Hua, Sonia Aslam and Charles Brockman