Police are boasting significant progress tackling the alarming and ongoing problem of extortions in B.C.’s second-largest city. Authorities said there were eight extortion threats reported across Surrey in July, marking a seven-month low for the city. There was also one extortion-related shooting, the lowest monthly total reported since February. The downward trend was highlighted Wednesday in a public message from Todd Matsumoto, the interim chief of the Surrey Police Service. “I know the extortion threats and related violence experienced over the past year have had a significant impact on members of Surrey’s business community,” Matsumoto wrote. “While this trend is positive, our investigative, enforcement, and prevention teams remain fully engaged to ensure continued pressure on those responsible for this activity.” The worst month of 2026 so far was January, when there were 44 extortion threats and 10 extortion-related shootings reported. There was another surge in the spring, with reported extortions peaking in May with 23 threats and two shootings. Asked whether authorities expect the downward trend to continue in August, Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told CTV News authorities are “cautiously optimistic” it will. “We also know that there have been declines and increases in Surrey, as there have been in other Canadian communities, in the past,” Houghton said in an email statement. There have only been a handful of extortions reported in the city so far this month—two threats and one shooting, according to the latest statistics, dated Aug. 17. Houghton urged anyone who is the victim of an extortion threat to contact police.
