This is Vancouver Does Surrey need emergency powers to stop extortion?
10 snips
Jan 27, 2026 
Brenda Locke, Surrey mayor pushing for a federally coordinated response and extraordinary measures. Eleanor Sturko, independent MLA and former RCMP officer focused on policing, tech gaps and investigative resources. Rob Danu, criminal defence lawyer and King's Counsel explaining legal limits on guns, extortion probes and barriers to U.S.-style self-defence laws. They discuss soaring extortion threats, investigatory needs and calls for federal action.
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Escalating Extortion Crisis Undermines Trust
- Surrey faced 35 suspected extortion cases in January and 132 last year, with many involving shootings.
- The surge has eroded public trust and driven calls for stronger responses from multiple government levels.
Self-Defense Laws Not A Simple Fix
- Stand-your-ground or castle laws are unlikely and potentially harmful in Canada due to different gun culture and evidence they raise safety risks.
- Firearms in homes statistically increase escalation and danger.
Smuggled Guns Drive Local Violence
- Most firearms used in these shootings are smuggled from south of the border, not from law-abiding Canadian owners.
- Focusing buybacks at home may miss the bigger problem at the border and smuggling routes.