SURREY Mayor Brenda Locke is in Ottawa this week to press for additional support to address the national extortion crisis. This will be her number one priority during her meetings with federal ministers, senior officials and municipal leaders.
“The extortion crisis has devastated families, shaken businesses, and put communities across the country on edge,” said Locke on Tuesday. “While recent steps from the federal government, such as the announcement of up to 20 additional RCMP officers, are encouraging, more needs to be done. This is a national emergency, and it requires a full-scale national response.”
Locke will reiterate her call to appoint a Commissioner for Extortion Violence Against Canadians to oversee the implementation of key measures, including:
- Immediate deployment of additional RCMP, federal organized crime units, and intelligence resources to Surrey
- Federal RCMP leadership of a joint federal-provincial-municipal task force with authority to act rapidly on extortion-related violence
- Expedited removal of non-citizens charged or convicted of extortion, firearms offences, or participation in extortion-related criminal activity
- Review of legislative gaps and recommendations to strengthen police capacity for arresting, charging and prosecuting offenders
- Quarterly public reporting on the severity of extortion-related activity and progress in addressing the crisis
“Three years in, we’re finally seeing movement from other orders of government, but the crisis is far from over,” Locke said. “My message in Ottawa will be simple: We cannot allow organized crime to continue threatening our city’s residents and business owners. We need decisive action now.”
While in Ottawa, Locke will also attend the Big City Mayors’ Caucus, where leaders of Canada’s largest urban centers meet to discuss national challenges, coordinate advocacy, and propose solutions on issues affecting municipalities across the country.
