Strengthen public crime reporting
Petitioners ask the government to improve public reporting on how all government levels coordinate to prevent rising violent and organized crime. The government responds it has formed task forces, funded programs and improved justice-data sharing.
Why we would sign this petition
- Increases transparency by showing which government level is responsible for actions to combat violent and organized crime.
- Helps identify coordination gaps and support evidence-based allocation of resources across federal, provincial and local agencies.
- May boost public confidence and pressure officials to sustain prevention, victim support and enforcement efforts.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Adds reporting requirements and administrative costs that could divert resources from frontline policing and prevention.
- May duplicate existing data and coordination mechanisms, offering limited new benefit without clear standards or accountability.
- Public reports risk revealing operational details or sensitive information that could hinder ongoing investigations or public safety.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS Organized violence, extortion, shootings and intimidation across the Lower Mainland and beyond is rising. Daylight shootings, murders and violence underscore a broader public safety crisis. Such as the tragic death of Darshan Singh Sahsi in Abbotsford. THEREFORE We, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to reinforce the process of public reporting so Canadians can clearly see how federal, provincial and local governments are working together to prevent further increases in violent and organized crime.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Public Safety Signed by JACQUES RAMSAY, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY The Government of Canada takes the issue of organized crime and extortion seriously, and is committed to addressing the complex and evolving threats facing our communities that are posed by transnational criminal organizations. This includes taking clear and concrete steps to disrupt organized crime, such as through the listing of the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code, and the introduction of stricter bail provisions for extortion offences through Bill C-14 . In addition, federal legislation such Bill C-2, the Stronger Borders Act, will help give law enforcement the tools they need to fight back against organized crime. These investments will provide enhanced intelligence sharing and enforcement capacity to combat transnational criminal networks and cut off the flow of illicit money that fuels them. The Government of Canada acknowledges the impact that extortion is having on communities across British Columbia, particularly in the Lower Mainland. This issue is of national concern and requires coordinated leadership and action from all levels of government and law enforcement. The Trilateral Summit on Extortion on November 28, 2025, concluded with a a unified pledge to disrupt organized crime networks and protect businesses and residents across the Lower Mainland. At the event, the Minister of Public Safety announced the investment of $1.5 million in funding through Public Safety Canada’s Crime Prevention Action Fund for the Yo Bro Yo Girl Initiative to launch a Youth Engagement Hub in Surrey, BC. This initiative aims to support up to one thousand youth by bringing together schools, law enforcement, and community partners to reduce gang involvement through mentorship, employment training, and counselling. In addition, to support victims of extortion, the Government of Canada is providing the Government of British Columbia with $500,000 over two years, through Justice Canada’s Victims Fund, for four additional victim service and community outreach workers to assist the B.C. Extortion Task Force and local police. This funding will also support the development and translation of public resources, including webpages and safety planning tools, to improve cultural relevance and accessibility. The federal investment will be matched by the province and address the need for additional victim services and community outreach in Lower Mainland communities, particularly Abbotsford and Surrey. The federal Government has also allocated $390 million over five years to support provinces and territories with prevention programs and law enforcement initiatives through the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence, and $250 million through the Building Safer Communities Fund. The Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund has invested $100,000 in the province of BC to support Crime Stoppers in delivering a 60-day public awareness campaign focused on extortion prevention and education. Most recently, the federal government has agreed to provide additional resources for the RCMP in B.C. to tackle the extortion wave, with the funding to help more anti-gang police assist in extortion cases. This includes the deployment of 20 new RCMP officers and two helicopters to reinforce ground operations and enhance the capacity of the provincial Extortion Task Force. These new resources build on earlier federal commitments such as funding for victim services, prevention programming, and integrated enforcement teams. These measures reflect the urgency expressed during the recent meeting between federal ministers, senior officials, and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke regarding the severity and escalation of extortion activity across the region on February 6, 2026. The Government of Canada also welcomes the steps taken by provincial and municipal partners to strengthen coordination, close operational gaps, and improve communication at all levels when responding to extortion-related violence. These actions ensure a more unified, whole-of-government response, along with federal measures such as Bills C-12 and C-14, which will provide law enforcement with stronger investigative powers, tighter bail controls, and tougher sentencing tools, directly supporting efforts to disrupt extortion networks and protect targeted communities. In September 2025, a provincial Extortion Task Force was established in British Columbia with approximately 40 investigative resources drawn from various policing agencies, including the British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Abbotsford Police Department, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – B.C. (CFSEU-BC), Delta Police Department, Metro Vancouver Transit Police, Surrey Police Service, and the Canada Border Services Agency. The Task Force has been focused on covert and overt investigative strategies, gathering and analyzing evidence, interviewing witnesses, executing search warrants, and managing evolving risks – with the goal of identifying those responsible for committing the criminal offence of extortion, securing criminal charges against suspects, bringing these matters before the courts, and holding those responsible accountable. Since its inception in 2025, the Extortion Task Force has taken conduct of 32 files from jurisdictions across the Lower Mainland. The task force has obtained almost 100 judicial authorizations and executed multiple search warrants across the Lower Mainland, Southeast District and in Alberta. Investigators have made arrests, conducted searches incidental to those arrests and obtained statements to lawfully secure perishable evidence. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is an integral part of the BC Extortion Task Force. In delivering on its public safety mandate, the CBSA collaborates with law-enforcement agencies to uphold Canada’s immigration and public safety laws, including the removal of individuals found to be inadmissible. As of January 20, in support of the BC Extortion Task Force, the CBSA’s Pacific Region is investigating 111 foreign nationals who may be inadmissible for Immigration and Refugee Protection Act related offences. So far, nine of these individuals have been removed from Canada. Recently, the RCMP has implemented the strategic deployment of resources based on intelligence from the Task Force to focus on prevention, deterrence and intelligence gathering in support of ongoing investigations. These resources include, but are not limited to, Emergency Response Teams and Police Dog Services throughout the province, CFSEU-BC, and British Columbia Highway Patrol. This multi-agency approach allows for leveraging police resources and ensuring seamless information sharing. The task force is also working with the RCMP’s National Coordination and Support Team (NCST) in partnership with police departments in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and abroad, to address the rise in extortion crimes. Their coordinated efforts have led to arrests in all three provinces. The BC RCMP continues to lead the Task Force and advance investigations with municipal partners, reflecting the shared commitment to public safety. All investigations remain active, with work extending beyond provincial borders through close collaboration with police partners across Canada. The Government of Canada is committed to providing the justice community and the public with transparent, relevant, and high-quality data on crime trends. A key mechanism supporting this commitment is the National Justice Statistics Initiative (NJSI), which serves federal–provincial–territorial Deputy Ministers of Justice and Public Safety. Through its Liaison Officers Committee (LOC), partners guide the work of the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (CCJCSS), a division of Statistics Canada, ensuring accurate, coherent, and timely national crime and justice data. This coordinated approach enables the Government to identify emerging threats—such as extortion—monitor regional trends, and support evidence-based policymaking, resource allocation, and enforcement strategies, ultimately helping Canada respond more effectively to public safety challenges. The Government of Canada affirms that the safety, dignity, and well-being of all Canadians remain central to its public safety agenda and core responsibilities. Intimidation and violence of any kind have no place in Canada, and we are committed to ensuring communities feel secure, respected, and protected.