The Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade commends Premier David Eby for taking decisive steps to tackle the growing extortion threat affecting businesses and residents in our region. This situation demands urgent attention, and it is critical that law enforcement, community leaders, and all levels of government act in coordination. The measures announced yesterday strengthen collaboration and represent an important move toward dismantling organized crime and safeguarding our local economy.
We also want to congratulate Paul Dadwal on his appointment as Chair of the new community advisory group. This leadership role is vital to improving communication between law enforcement, government partners, and the public. Many business owners and residents have been victimized by intimidation, threats, and violence for far too long, and their voices must be heard and reflected moving forward. Clear, consistent updates from police are crucial, and we view this new advisory group as an important step forward.
We further acknowledge and thank Mayor Brenda Locke for her leadership and advocacy on this issue, including her visit to Ottawa to secure federal attention and resources for Surrey. Her efforts highlight the importance of strong, coordinated action across all levels of government to protect our communities.
A safe community is the foundation of a strong economy. We need unified leadership from all orders of government to ensure businesses and workers have the resources and protections they need. The Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade looks forward to working collaboratively with all partners to support solutions that restore safety and confidence in our communities.
The SWRBOT has also highlighted the urgent impact of extortion on our city in an op/ed published recently, which can be viewed here: Extortion is challenging our sense of safety in Surrey.
Photo Credit: CBC News
Photo – (left to right: Elizabeth Model, Honourable Jagrup Brar, Joslyn Young, Indra Bhan, Premier Eby, Jatinder Sandhar, Lakhvinder Gill, Philip Aguirre, Scott Wheatley).
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Aman Parmar
604.634.0345 | aman@swrbot.com
