Premier David Eby put the Surrey Police Service and police board under a microscope Tuesday during a meeting with Surrey business leaders related to the ongoing extortion crisis plaguing South Asian businesses and residents in this city.
Eby expressed concern about “inconsistent communications” between the extortion task force and the Surrey Police Service to the community. “These inconsistent communications result in the community feeling that everybody is not on the same page, that they’re not all working together, that they’re not coordinated on the number-one issue in their lives,” he said.
“That is not acceptable, so I fully support the commisioner’s work to get everybody on the same page in British Columbia. It is absolutely vital. To that end, I also had a meeting with the mayor of Surrey to discuss the future of the Surrey Police Service and how we work together more closely to ensure that Surrey Police Service is responsive to community needs.
As for the eight-member board – used to be nine – Eby said police board appointments have been allowed to lapse, leaving vacancies, and that an agreement has been struck between the provincial government and City of Surrey that vacancies will only be filled by “mutual agreement between the mayor’s office and the provincial government through our public safety minister.
“The goal here is to deliver what local policing is meant to be for the people of Surrey – a police board that is reflective of the community, that directs police along the lines of community priorities,” he said. “I’m grateful to move into this mode of operation with the City of Surrey and the mayor, and hope that it will be able to close some of the gaps that the community feels exists between policy for Surrey Police Service and what their wishes are for how the police service operates in our community, particularly around extortion.”
The Surrey Police Board regular meeting for Thursday, February 5, 2026 has been cancelled with an explanation on its website this happened “as a good deal of information to be presented is from individuals who are not able to attend due to unforeseen circumstances” and that “a special meeting will be scheduled in due course, and the next regular meeting is on March 12, 2026 beginning at 2:00 p.m.”
Councillor Rob Stutt – council’s representative on the board – could not be immediately reached for comment, nor could its executive director Jason Kuzminski.
Meantime Mayor Brenda Locke, who is in Ottawa this week trying to drum up federal solutions to the extortion crisis, issued a written statement on Tuesday afternoon, indicating she’s “pleased that the City will be able to collaborate with the province on membership of the Surrey Police Board and ensure it fully reflects the community and their public safety priorities.
“I also look forward to the work of the advisory group to improve communication between the public and the B.C. Extortion Task Force,” Locke added. “It’s crucial we amplify the voices of residents and business owners who have been victimized by extortion and violence for far too long. I agree with Premier Eby that communication must be improved with regular updates from police, and I’m optimistic that this committee is a positive step in that direction.