iN NUMBERS: What people in the Southern Interior want to do about extortion

Extortion cases and extortion related shootings in B.C. have received a lot of attention in recent months.

The RCMP decided to form a special unit, the BC Extortion Task Force, to deal with extortion and any related violence. But there are some other actions that could be taken to handle the problem.

Research Co. polled people in B.C. to see which solutions they support.

Here are the numbers:

• 47: Per cent of people polled in the Southern Interior have been following the extortion attempts and related shootings in the past month.
• 54: Per cent of people polled in the Southern Interior support a Commissioner for Extortion Violence Against Canadians.
• 43: Per cent of people polled in the Southern Interior support a police helicopter for Surrey to help with the extortion related violence.
• 40: Per cent of people polled in the Southern Interior want to change gun laws so that “people whose homes or businesses are targeted can defend themselves.”
• 45: Per cent of BC Conservative voters polled want to change gun laws so that “people whose homes or businesses are targeted can defend themselves.”
• 82: Per cent of people polled in the Southern Interior want the government to be able to try teenagers who are recruited to extort people as adults.
• 90: Per cent of people polled in the Southern Interior want to quickly deport non-citizens who are charged or convicted of extortion related crimes, including firearms offences.
• 5: Months ago the RCMP created the BC Extortion Task Force to investigate extortion and related violence.
• 296: People are being investigated by the Canadian Border Services Agency after a referral from BC’s Extortion Task Force.
• 32: Files were taken over by BC’s Extortion Task Force as of Jan. 17.