Why authorities struggle to respond

Surrey, BC has already recorded 51 extortions this year. 11 of them ended with shots fired. That might sound surprising until you realise last year there were 133 cases, and 49 related shootings. So what’s actually driving this? And how is it possible that after more than a year of this, no level of government (municipal, provincial, federal) and no police force has managed to get it under control? Host Noor speaks with former MP Jinny Sims, who was targeted in these campaigns, and Wade Deisman, a criminologist at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guests: Jinny Sims, Wade Deisman

Background reading:

• B.C. politicians call on federal government to get tough on extortion crisis – CBC News
• Protest held against extortion wave in Surrey as 3 foreign nationals charged – CBC News
• Shots fired at Surrey radio station believed to be extortion-related – Global News
• Extortion is disrupting B.C. lives and businesses. And there's no end in sight – Vancouver Sun
• Extortion Theatre: Sikh Politicians, Party Scripts, & The Refusal To Name India – Baaz News

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