Premier David Eby said there needs to be a more consistent response and better communication from police on extortion threats in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
“The gap between the police understanding of what’s happening on the ground and what I’m hearing from community members about what’s happening on the ground has been significant and persistent,” Eby said Tuesday after a meeting with Surrey business leaders.
He said the province will appoint a new advisory committee to work with B.C.’s extortion task force.
Eby also said the province and the City of Surrey will collaborate on appointing candidates to the Surrey Police Board.
Police departments across Canada have reported rising numbers of South Asian individuals and businesses being contacted with demands for money and threatened with violence if they refuse to pay.
Eby described the situation in Surrey as a “slow motion terror attack” and said the extortion threats have been “paralyzing” to local business.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke welcomed the moves.
“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,” Locke said.
Locke is in Ottawa this week to press for more federal support in combating extortion.
Surrey Police Chief Norm Lipinski said in a statement he supports Eby’s call for more support and new mechanisms to address extortion.
“I welcome the formation of a new community advisory group and look forward to listening, learning from lived experiences, addressing fears and concerns, and tackling this challenge together,” Lipinski said.
The issue was discussed at the First Ministers’ meeting in Ottawa last week. Eby also said police leadership from B.C., Ontario and Manitoba plan to meet this month to identify gaps in communications and resource sharing.
“Making sure those lines of communication are open is critically important,” he said.
Eby called on federal lawmakers to expedite votes to approve a pair of bills he said would help close legal loopholes and give police more tools to combat extortion. Bill C-12 is aimed at tightening immigration rules, while C-14 is intended to make bail laws stricter and toughen sentencing.
He pointed to reports of delays in deporting extortion suspects because they had claimed refugee status.
The province introduced the B.C. RCMP-led task force in September, saying it would bring together existing operations and new police partners under a single command structure.
“We haven’t seen the frequency of communication that I was hoping to see from that group,” Eby said.
Last month, Eby publicly questioned the head of B.C.’s extortion task force, RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer, after Brewer said the situation doesn’t rise to the level of a “crisis.” Brewer later issued an apology.
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