October 31, 2025
Parteek Singh Mahal
Facing a brutal surge in shootings and extortions, Surrey mayor Brenda Locke delivered an unequivocal plea for immediate external intervention, calling on both the provincial and federal governments to temporarily deploy 150 additional police officers to the city.
Locke during an interview on RED FM’s Harjinder Thind Show gave details regarding her urgent meeting with Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Nina Krieger. The discussion focused on Surrey’s public safety crisis, driven by ongoing shootings and extortions, and the need for immediate government intervention.
The City of Surrey is formally calling on both the federal and provincial governments to temporarily deploy 150 additional police officers from the RCMP and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU). These officers, the mayor stressed, are needed to be separate from the Surrey Police Service (SPS) and dedicated only to combating extortion and shootings targeting residents and business owners.
“We are living it every single day – the fear, the intimidation, the violence. Families and business owners have had their lives and livelihoods deeply affected. It is gut-wrenching to see our community impacted so profoundly. Our city cannot, and will not, endure it any longer,” Locke said.
During the interview, mayor Locke outlined the specific requests that 100 dedicated officers from the CFSEU (a B.C.-led unit) and 50 officers from the federal government (primarily RCMP or CBSA border personnel). She emphasized that the aggressive nature of the crisis requires a “very dramatic” response, and if the first 150 officers aren’t enough, the city will ask for more.
Mayor also discussed her deep concern that residents “are not feeling protected” and are so desperate that they may “start to take the law into their own hands.” She confirmed that the city has requested the use of resources like police helicopters from the National Force, which fly out of Langley.
When questioned about the perceived silence of the Surrey Police Board, mayor Locke stated that the board is ultimately responsible to the Solicitor General, who oversees it. She defended the city’s representative, councillor Studd, explaining he is “muzzled” because only the board’s chair can officially speak on its behalf.
Despite the ongoing policing transition, the mayor stressed that the city is fully supporting policing efforts. She cited a significant number, stating that Surrey’s police budget has increased by 71% in the last five years, from $166 million to $285 million.
Finally, she confirmed that if the Solicitor General does not comply with the request, the city is already escalating the issue by lobbying the federal government through a letter sent to federal minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree.
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