Several Lower Mainland police leaders will sit down with B.C.’s public safety minister Tuesday to discuss extortion.
In February, Minister Nina Krieger announced her intention to launch an advisory group on the wave of crime largely affecting the South Asian community south of the Fraser River.
Advisory Group Chair Paul Dadwal will be joined by Dwayne McDonald, deputy commissioner of the BC RCMP and head of the B.C. Extortion Taskforce, Norm Lipinski, chief constable of the Surrey Police Service (SPS), Harj Sidhu, chief constable of the Delta Police Department, Colin Watson, chief constable of the Abbotsford Police Department, and Nina Patel, regional director of the Canada Border Services Agency Pacific Region.
When first appointed, Dadwal said the group’s goal is to “bridge the gap” between the community and the system.
“And the system includes law enforcement, regulatory bodies, victim services — society. It’s looking at the macro issue of what’s actually happening in our community, in the community,” Dadwal explained.
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Extortion has been making headlines for months, following a spike in cases in early January.
As of Monday, the SPS says 98 extortion crimes have been reported in Surrey in 2026, affecting 51 victims, including 16 shots fired and two arsons.
The virtual roundtable begins at 5 p.m. Members of the public are encouraged to submit questions ahead of time online, as there will be no live Q-and-A session.