Latest news with #GaryBegg
CTV News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
B.C. launches campaign urging South Asian community to report extortion threats
A campaign urging victims and targets of extortion threats in B.C.'s South Asian community to come forward has launched, but critics want more action. A campaign urging victims and targets of extortion threats in B.C.'s South Asian community to come forward has launched, but critics say raising awareness isn't enough. The provincial government has launched a new campaign encouraging members of the South Asian community to report information tied to a disturbing rise in extortion threats, but some critics say the B.C. still isn't doing enough to protect people living in fear. The Crime Stoppers digital media campaign, unveiled Thursday, aims to raise awareness and urge victims and witnesses to come forward. It comes amid a wave of threats and violence targeting South Asian-owned businesses in Surrey. 'It is important that the police have the information to work so that they can do their job,' said Public Safety Minister Gary Begg. In recent months, several Surrey businesses have received chilling phone calls demanding millions of dollars, followed by targeted gunfire. Similar extortion patterns have been reported across Canada. Police made mass arrests linked to organized crime in Ontario and Edmonton earlier this year, but so far, no arrests have been made in Surrey. 'My message to the public is number one, report. But number two, know that we are working extremely hard to really find these people and hold them accountable,' said Surrey Police Service Chief Const. Norm Lipinski. Both Lipinski and Begg insist police have the resources they need, but not the co-operation. 'I don't think there is a shortage of expertise on the part of the police. I think there is a shortage of information,' Begg said. Still, some critics believe the province's new $100,000 campaign doesn't go far enough. 'One hundred thousand dollars is a drop in the bucket. It doesn't send a serious message to the South Asian community that it's really scared right now,' said Steve Kooner, a B.C. Conservative MLA and the party's critic for the Attorney General. 'If this government wants to take this matter seriously, it really needs to look to different levels of government, and it needs to come up with solutions that are legislation-based.' Begg says intelligence links the Lawrence Bishnoi gang — an organized criminal group — to some of the extortion cases. The premier has formally asked the federal government to label the group a terrorist organization. 'The federal designation would unlock additional tools and resources not just in British Columbia but across the country,' Begg said. Surrey Police have said they are actively investigating 12 extortion files, but believe many more have gone unreported. Lipinski also said some of the cases may be linked to individuals 'beyond the borders of Canada,' and that they're working with the RCMP on the complex cases. The new awareness campaign will run for 60 days and is also available in Punjabi.
CBC
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Province to announce plans to address extortion against South Asian community
B.C. Public Safety Minister Gary Begg is scheduled to speak Thursday following recent reports of extortion attempts and violence against members of the South Asian community in Canada.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
B.C. program targeting repeat violent offenders receives funding boost
British Columbia's Minister for Public Safety and Solicitor General Gary Begg meets with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin during the swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Victoria, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito SURREY — British Columbia's public safety minister says the provincial government is adding another $6 million to a policing initiative targeting repeat violent offenders. Gary Begg says the money for the Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement program will build on the initiative's past successes in leading to more than 2,600 criminal charges since its launch in 2023. Begg says the funding has supported nearly 150 investigations in dozens of communities, leading to 'substantial' seizures of weapons, drugs and stolen goods. The minister, who's a former RCMP officer, says policing challenges have been made more complex as 'mental health struggles, the toxic opioid crisis and homelessness have intensified in recent years.' Begg says the program was launched originally as a three-year pilot project aimed at boosting policing capacity, and police departments now say it's 'as a critical tool in combating repeat violence.' He says the funding for the program has benefited agencies, including the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, and is also credited by Vancouver police for a substantial drop in violent crime along the city's Hastings Street. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
Toronto Star
7 days ago
- Toronto Star
B.C. Public Safety Minister says program funding targets repeat violent offenders
SURREY - British Columbia's public safety minister says the provincial government is adding another $6 million to a policing initiative targeting repeat violent offenders. Gary Begg says the money for the Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement program will build on the initiative's past successes in leading to more than 2,600 criminal charges since its launch in 2023.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C. Public Safety Minister says program funding targets repeat violent offenders
SURREY – British Columbia's public safety minister says the provincial government is adding another $6 million to a policing initiative targeting repeat violent offenders. Gary Begg says the money for the Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement program will build on the initiative's past successes in leading to more than 2,600 criminal charges since its launch in 2023. Begg says the funding has supported nearly 150 investigations in dozens of communities, leading to 'substantial' seizures of weapons, drugs and stolen goods. The minister, who's a former RCMP officer, says policing challenges have been made more complex as 'mental health struggles, the toxic opioid crisis and homelessness have intensified in recent years.' Begg says the program was launched originally as a three-year pilot project aimed at boosting policing capacity, and police departments now say it's 'as a critical tool in combating repeat violence.' He says the funding for the program has benefited agencies, including the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, and is also credited by Vancouver police for a substantial drop in violent crime along the city's Hastings Street. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
