The Provincial government will create a dedicated task force to fight the growing extortion threat in B.C..
Nina Krieger, the province’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, said on Wednesday that the task force will support a coordinated approach to extortion investigations.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Krieger said at a press conference that the task force will have a province-wide mandate, which will be reflected in its membership.
“The task force will be led by the B.C. RCMP and made up of 40 members from law enforcement agencies throughout B.C.,” Krieger said.
Among others, members from the Canadian Border Services Agency, the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, and several municipal police departments will join the task force.
The newly formed task force will be in part funded through the federal Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund.
The provincial government will allocate $300,000 in total from the fund, while $200,000 will be exclusively used for the new task force.
Another $100,000 will be allocated to Crime Stoppers BC’s public awareness campaign.
“The commitments being announced today build on the more than $100 million annually that the province allocates to support specialized enforcement efforts to stop criminals,” Krieger said.
Krieger was joined by members of the BC RCMP outside a Surrey RCMP office, including Assistant Commissioner John Brewer.
Police make progress in investigating extortion threats
He said that the police are making progress in investigating several extortion threats across the province.
“We have collected and are processing digital and physical evidence. We have executed search warrants, and we have identified people of interest. We have made arrests, and we have submitted reports to Crown counsel for charge assessment and approval,” he said in front of reporters.
“Some of the victimology and the tactics of threats and intimidation are similar. We do not believe that many of these cases have been committed by the same individuals or organized crime groups. Each investigation is unique and requires a tailored approach to advance these investigations,” he explained.
Just this week, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke announced that the city has made $250,000 available for tips and other information that leads to convictions in extortion-related crimes.
The money will be split among informants based on the assessment of the information shared.
Surrey is predominantly affected by recent extortion crimes across the province, with the Surrey Police Service currently investigating 44 extortion files, including 27 shooting incidents alone.