DRUG VIOLENCE BEHIND RECORD MURDER RATE

Drug-related violence boosted the Surrey murder rate to a record level in
2001, RCMP figures show.

There were 17 homicides in the city, almost triple the previous year, and
that number that may rise even higher if the mysterious death of an
unidentified woman turns out to involve foul play.

The woman's body was discovered by the side of a road in December, but
police are still awaiting the results of tests to confirm the cause of
death before they decide whether to add her to the list.

The previous record for murders in Surrey - 16 - was set in '93.

Almost all of the slayings in 2001 are believed to be connected to the drug
trade in one way or another, said RCMP spokesman Const. Tim Shields.

"Our figures show that 85 per cent of them are targeted acts of violence
against people involved in drugs and other illegal activity."

Const. Shields said most drug-related murders appear to involve various
rival groups, including Vietnamese, Indo-Canadian and Caucasian dealers,
who are increasingly prone to using guns to resolve disputes.

"We are concerned about the level of violence that we're seeing."

RCMP plan to devote more time and resources to drug enforcement in the new
year, Shields said.

Two homicide cases in 2001 are not believed to be drug-related. Both
involved acts of domestic violence, including the May 19 death of Surrey
mom Kanwaljeet Nahar.

Two other 2001 cases in Surrey were initially reported as missing persons,
but police investigations have since found enough evidence to confirm foul
play even though no bodies have been discovered yet, Shields said.

The number of murder cases reported this year represents a substantial
increase over 2000, when six homicides were reported for the entire year.

The homicide rate for 2001 is also higher than the numbers recorded in
1999, when 10 murders were investigated, 1998 (12) and 1997 (seven).