Extortion cases continue to dominate headlines south of the Fraser River, and the provincial government says it is beefing up funding to help police fight the issue.

The Ministry of Public Safety announced Thursday it is putting another $600,000 into the Provincial Forensic Firearms Lab — which investigates organized crime, gangs, and gun-related violence — and to help cover overtime costs for police officers investigating extortion files.

There have been almost 50 extortion attempts in B.C. since the beginning of the year — an average of nearly two a day — with 35 reported in Surrey alone. Seven of this year’s reports involved shots-fired incidents. Most involve businesses or individuals receiving threatening texts saying they would face violence or property damage if they didn’t hand over a large sum of money.

One of the most high-profile investigations last year involved Kap’s Café — a local restaurant linked to a big Bollywood star — that has had its windows shattered over and over again and has been forced to shut down temporarily on multiple occasions.

Thursday’s announcement comes a day after a top RCMP official in charge of investigating the issue apologized after he said he didn’t think extortion should be characterized as a “crisis” in B.C.

Also on Wednesday, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke sent a letter to federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, urging Ottawa to appoint a national extortion commissioner with the authority to coordinate police, governments, experts, and community leaders across the country.

— With files from Sonia Aslam and Michael Williams