BC Anti-Extortion Chief Apologizes for Disputing Crisis After Premiers Rebuke

B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during a meeting on new funding to support victims of crime in Surrey, B.C., on Nov. 28, 2025. The Canadian Press/Ethan CairnsThe leader of British Columbia’s anti-extortion task force has apologized for hurting “public confidence” after Premier David Eby called for his resignation if he couldn’t convey the appropriate urgency to address a surge of blackmail-related shootings across the Lower Mainland.RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer said in a Jan. 21 media statement that he did not intend to make the public doubt the force’s dedication to the task when he repeatedly questioned the use of the term “crisis” during a press conference held the day before to describe the ongoing shootings in Surrey.