B.C.'s opposition critic for the Attorney General is calling out the provincial government for what he describes as the "lack of urgency" in addressing the ongoing extortion crisis in Surrey.
In a press release Thursday (July 31), MLA for Richmond鈥換ueensborough Steve Kooner criticized the provincial government for failing to include tackling the extortion crisis as a priority in the July 17 mandate letters to or
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not just an oversight, it鈥檚 an insult to the communities affected and the severity of the issue," Kooner said. 鈥淭hese letters are supposed to reflect the government鈥檚 priorities. But even with this crisis growing, extortion doesn鈥檛 get a single mention. That says everything about this government鈥檚 approach.鈥�
Surrey's South Asian community is at the heart of a surge in extortion-related crimes that have hit the headlines in recent weeks.
As of Tuesday, July 29, 26 extortion incidents have been reported to the police, according to Surrey Police's media relations officer, Sgt. Tige Pollock.
"Not all of the new reports are new files; some are historical in nature. This may be in part due to the public forums, community outreach and the increased funding from the Province for Crime Stoppers," Pollock said previously.
Kooner added, 鈥淧olice are doing their part. Crime Stoppers is doing its job. Victims are stepping forward, thanks in part to a private citizen who helped organize the community, and to our calls for stronger trust and relationship-building,鈥� he continued. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 doing their part. Everyone except the province.鈥�
Krieger's mandate letter does include a commitment to prioritize making progress on several key areas, including "strengthening targeted policing." This includes "facilitating strong cooperation between police, Crown prosecutors, probation officials and the federal government to reduce repeat, violent and gang offences."
B.C.'s public safety minister, Nina Krieger, told the Surrey Now-Leader in an emailed statement that the province is doing everything it can to "support police efforts to bring these threats to an end."
The province announced at a news conference on June 26 that it would provide $100,000 in funding to help BC Crime Stoppers run a 60-day "extortion awareness campaign" in English and Punjabi, featuring ads on social and traditional media.
In addition, the provincial government has invested more than $100 million annually "to support specialized enforcement and intelligence programs targeting organized crime activity," Krieger said. 鈥淭he Director of Police Services continues to help coordinate law enforcement agencies at every level as they work together to target the people who are behind these extortion threats."
She also mentioned the July 3 arrests in Surrey of the two men under investigation for extortion. 鈥淚 want to thank the provincial and federal RCMP, Abbotsford Police Department and Surrey Police Service for their coordinated efforts in arresting two individuals as part of an ongoing investigation in Surrey. These arrests demonstrate the shared commitment of law enforcement agencies to work collaboratively, leverage regional resources and gather evidence to bring criminal charges forward."
She encouraged those who have been victims of extortion to come forward and report it to Crime Stoppers or the police. There are "supports available" for them, she added.
鈥淓xtortion is a global issue, with police working cooperatively with police services provincially, nationally and internationally to bring extortionists to justice and protect extortion victims. This should not be a partisan issue. We should all stand together to support police in their critical work and denounce these criminal threats.鈥�
