Mayor lobbies for national strategy to combat extortion

Mayor Scott Gillingham is calling for a co-ordinated, nationwide strategy to combat the rising threat of extortion.

In the wake of recent extortion arrests in Winnipeg, B.C. and Ontario, Gillingham listed the strategy as a key priority to pursue with federal leaders and other mayors at Big City Mayors’ Caucus meetings in Ottawa this week.

“To deal with this effectively… the Winnipeg Police Service needs partners in the RCMP, Canada Border Services, immigration and others to really address this growing issue of extortion,” said Gillingham, in a phone interview from Ottawa Thursday.

The mayors held meetings with Prime Minister Mark Carney and cabinet ministers to outline their federal priorities.

In late January, Winnipeg police announced the arrests of five people in connection with multiple extortion attempts and incidents of arson that primarily targeted core-area businesses, and asked the public to help locate two additional suspects. Three of the people arrested were not residents of Manitoba.

“It wasn’t just Winnipeggers that are being charged. This (includes) people from other cities that are (allegedly) operating in criminal extortion activity within Winnipeg. It’s a national problem with a national network in some cases,” said Gillingham.

He noted Brampton, Ont., and Surrey, B.C., have had “high rates” of extortion attempts. A report by The Canadian Press notes police in Surrey are investigating 46 extortion cases so far this year.

“We’re calling on the federal government to see this as a national issue… There is some evidence, certainly in other cities, that some of these individuals involved in extortion may have connections to other nations. So, we really need a broader national, and even international focus, on stemming this problem,” said Gillingham.

The mayor said a task force could be one option to address the matter.

“This a nationwide issue and the networks may be operating nationwide, so it can’t be just all on the backs of the Winnipeg Police Service and other local police services to deal with this problem,” he said.

Gillingham said WPS told him in the fall that extortion was a growing problem in Winnipeg.

Before he returns from Ottawa Friday, the mayor plans to push for federal funding to support the final phase of the $3.092-billion upgrade to the North End sewage treatment plant, position Winnipeg to play a “leading role” in increased Canadian defence efforts and ensure federal bail reform legislation is enacted as soon as possible.

Gillingham travelled to Ottawa in October to support bail reform changes aimed at keeping repeat violent offenders off the streets, while he began publicly lobbying in September for increased federal defence dollars to be doled out in Winnipeg.

In June, Carney announced Canada will dramatically increase defence spending to reach five per cent of annual gross domestic product by 2035.

Gillingham said Winnipeg is well-positioned to support that effort, since it has 17 Wing Winnipeg  (home to 1 Canadian Air Division, the operational headquarters of the Royal Canadian Air Force, as well as 2 Canadian Air Division), two Royal Canadian Air Force headquarters and Canada’s third-largest aerospace sector.

“Winnipeg is ready. We are co-ordinated. We already deliver on defence. We can increase our delivery at a time when the federal government wants to increase their investment in defence. Winnipeg is the place to do it,” he said.

— With files from The Canadian Press

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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