‘Shame on you’: Surrey residents fed up with extortion crisis

Many Surrey residents have simply had enough with the extortion crisis plaguing the city – and they shouted “shame on you” at police officials at a public forum on the issue last week.

The CBC hosted the forum on Nov. 13 and it ended in anger and arguing as people expressed frustrations as near-daily shooting continue to rock the city.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer tried to assure the crowd that every effort was being made, ranging from the formation of a task force to basically a blank cheque on overtime to expedited lab work to review evidence. He also said all agencies are working together.

“We’re going to stop this,” Brewer said, waving his hand in the air.

That drew a smattering of applause, but the numbers remain stark.

Alarming numbers: In Surrey so far this year, there have been 95 extortion reports, with 45 of those being related to shots being fired. One home in South Surrey was shot up on Nov. 12 – the second time the home had been targeted in about a week.

The Law Society of B.C. also recently confirmed that some of its members have received extortion threats for “substantial sums of money.”

Not enough police? Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke recently made a plea to other levels of government to temporarily deploy 150 officers from the RCMP and Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit to tackle the ongoing shootings and extortions targeting residents and business owners.

So far, that request has not resulted in any re-deployed officers, SPS Chief Const. Norm Lipinski told last week’s Surrey Police Board meeting. The police board agreed last week to write to the federal government in support of Locke’s request for 150 additional officers.

The task force: But the B.C. Extortion Task Force that was put together in response to the crisis says some additional resources have been deployed in Surrey. The task force includes 15 members of the SPS.

These resources are in addition to the dedicated task force partners and include but are not limited to Emergency Response Teams and Police Dog Services throughout the province, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC), and BC Highway Patrol. Their focus will be on prevention, deterrence and intelligence gathering in support of ongoing investigations. 

“The deployment of these resources is strategic and intelligence-led through coordinated efforts with the Provincial Extortion Task Force, with the goal of supporting communities and the ongoing work of local police,” said Brewer, Criminal Operations Officer for the BC RCMP. “The additional personnel will be doing targeted proactive patrols, police stops, vehicle interdictions and intelligence gathering. The support from these additional resources will not be limited to any one city or area.”

Few arrests so far: Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, says some progress has been made, with seven arrests and various charges laid, and most recently, the removal of three individuals from Canada by the CBSA, which has 78 foreign nationals under investigation who may be inadmissible to Canada.

“While progress continues to be made, I know how frustrating it is for people, especially those who have been targeted, to wait for these investigations to show results,” Kreiger said.

Efforts to stir up tips: In September, Locke and Lipinski joined forces to announce a $250,000 reward fund that could be one lump sum amount, or be broken up into smaller pieces depending on the information that is supplied to police, and if it leads to charges and convictions.

A Surrey Extortion Tip Line (236-485-5149) is being monitored by SPS police officers seven days a week, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Punjabi-speaking officers will be available as required.

Lipinski said these cases are complex and many of the victims are reluctant to speak up for fear of retribution.

“I really feel for the people of Surrey, I really feel for the victims that are subjected to this, and let’s keep in mind, they all have families,” he said. “We certainly appreciate their strength in coming forward and we encourage the reporting of these incidents because you don’t know when that small nugget of information may lead to something big.”

Lipinski urged people who are being threatened to report what has happened, promising that the SPS will protect them. Lipinski also advised victims to not pay any blackmail money and to ensure that any evidence from, for example, a shooting, be preserved for police investigators.

Lipinski wanted to remind the public that this isn’t just a Surrey issue, as there have been other Canadian cities struggling with extortion attempts, citing Brampton, Ont. as having to deal with such threats for at least a year.

Abbotsford has also reported extortion attempts.

“Extortion investigations are complex and, in many cases, involve organized crime groups operating inside and outside the country. For these reasons, obtaining information that can advance police investigations to the point where charges and convictions can be realized is challenging,” said Lipinski. “This is why this additional investigational tool is being launched, through the support of the City of Surrey.”

Payments will only be issued if information directly results in identification, prosecution and conviction.