Extortion task force head apologizes after B.C. premier asks him to demonstrate urgency
RCMP's John Brewer has apologized for not calling rash of extortion cases a 'crisis'
B.C. Premier David Eby says the head of a police anti-extortion task force needs to step aside if he cannot demonstrate a sense of urgency in the fight.
Eby's remarks about RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer come a day after Brewer repeatedly declined to characterize a wave of extortion-related shootings in the Lower Mainland as a crisis.
The premier says Brewer's comments "cut at public confidence" and he needs to clarify himself.
"If Mr. Brewer does not feel that urgency, does not feel this is a crisis, perhaps he's not the right person to head up this task force," said Eby. "The reason we established this task force ... was to respond to a crisis.
"We need them to bring that urgency to this job and to do it quickly and effectively for the people of Surrey and the people south of the Fraser," the premier continued. "That is what they expect, that is what they demand, that is what I expect."
Brewer had said Tuesday in an update on the work of the B.C. extortion task force that it was "actively hunting" suspects in 32 files across the Lower Mainland.
But he would not describe the situation a crisis after being pressed to do so in a news conference.
In a statement sent to media after Eby's comments, Brewer apologized for not using the term "crisis" in his news conference on Tuesday, and said the opportunity to provide an update had instead called the RCMP's commitment into question and impacted public confidence.
"The task force’s commitment to addressing the ongoing threats and violence has not wavered," the statement read.
"Our efforts have never been limited because of a term. Extortions remain one of our highest priorities."
Surrey mayor calls for resources
Brenda Locke, the mayor of Surrey, B.C., is meanwhile urging Ottawa to "take immediate action and implement a full-scale national initiative" against extortion violence in Canada amid the shootings linked to attempted blackmail in her city.
The Surrey Police Service said it had 132 extortion attempts, with 49 of them involving shootings, in 2025. As of Jan. 19 of this year, 34 reports of extortion have been received by Surrey police.
On Tuesday, SPS Chief Const. Norm Lipinski said the force would be requesting the use of an RCMP helicopter and naming extortion suspects as they step up efforts to deal with the extortion attempts.
Locke said that the city's residents hadn't seen things get any better on that front since the start of 2026, but urged them not to take the law into their own hands.
It comes days after Surrey police said they were looking into reports that someone in a residence, targeted by extortion-related gunfire, had returned fire.
"I'm going to ask people to please don't go down that road. That does not help or solve anything. It makes it worse," she said.
With files from The Canadian Press's Wolfgang Depner