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<\/p>\nPeel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich (CPAC video).<\/p>\n
Extortionists are broadening their scope and are now targeting groups other than the South Asian community in their demands for money.<\/p>\n
That is the message from Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, who said the crime wave is expanding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are absolutely other communities,\u201d said Milinovich at a press conference today (Feb. 19). He was responding to a question about whether members of the South Asian community were the only victims.<\/p>\n
Milinovich explained that in 2025, 470 incidents of extortion in Brampton and Mississauga were reported to Peel Police; of those, 190 were from businesses. Twenty-nine of the instances involved shootings or arson. He went on to say that of the 190, the majority are part of the South Asian business community.<\/p>\n
(While Caledon is in Peel Region, residents there fall under the jurisdiction of the OPP, and therefore are not included in Peel Police data).<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there are other elements of the community, and that is one of our concerns,\u201d he continued. \u201cOf course, we don\u2019t want anybody victimized or targeted, but we are starting to see an expansion (of extortion crimes in other communities).\u201d<\/p>\n
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Milinovich did not elaborate on where the criminal activity is headed, but added that extortion is now one of the most serious threats to public safety, not only in Peel Region, but across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not just a Peel issue; this is a national issue,\u201d he said. \u201d Families are being targeted. \u201cThis crime occurs as a result of fear that is created in the community, and the motivation is about money.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deputy acknowledged that many of the shooting incidents in Peel have been captured on film and have been widely shared on social media, which has fueled the alarm in the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt represents hundreds of people who are living in fear and forced to live with the experiences that they had,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Milinovich assured that Peel Police are at the forefront of pushing back against the extortion crime wave and that the department has launched \u201can all-out offensive\u201d by going after the offenders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not just doing what you expect a police department to do in terms of enforcement,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re making sure our community feels safe, and working to prevent these offenses.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said 40 full-time investigators are \u201cworking around the clock\u201d to investigate extortion crimes.<\/p>\n