​BRAMPTON, ON (February 19, 2026) – The City of Brampton welcomes the Government of Canada’s announcement of new measures to strengthen the fight against extortion and strengthen protections for Canadians and businesses facing organized criminal activity.

Today’s announcement reflects the coordinated leadership driving action in Brampton and across the region to confront extortion and organized crime. The new federal measures sharpen detection, disruption and prevention efforts through enhanced financial intelligence and deeper collaboration between governments, police services and financial institutions.

Brampton City Council recently took decisive action by unanimously approving a motion calling for emergency measures to address extortion and organized crime. Following Council’s direction, Mayor Patrick Brown urged federal and provincial leaders to provide dedicated task force funding for Peel Region comparable to support in British Columbia, targeted victim support investments including culturally informed services and formal intelligence sharing frameworks across federal and provincial law enforcement agencies and Peel Regional Police.

The measures announced by the Government of Canada include:
  • ​Prioritizing financial intelligence resources to tackle extortion enabling law enforcement to receive more timely and relevant intelligence to identify criminal networks and support investigations.
  • Launching a Countering Extortion Partnership with financial institutions, government, and law enforcement alongside partners such as the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and local police.
  • Assigning financial intelligence experts from FINTRAC as dedicated liaison officers to work directly with local law enforcement in the most affected areas, including Ontario.
  • Providing financial institutions with clear guidance on how to detect extortion transactions
  • Publishing intelligence on how criminals move and hide extortion money
​Extortion continues to impact local businesses and community safety in Brampton. City Council has worked in close coordination with Peel Regional Police and community partners to strengthen enforcement, support affected businesses and expand public awareness.

These federal tools reinforce local action already underway and expand capacity to protect residents, businesses and neighbourhoods from intimidation and financial harm.

The City of Brampton supports coordinated national action which advances community safety and reinforces confidence across the local business community.

Quotes

“Extortion has had a serious impact on businesses and families in Brampton, and Council acted swiftly to call for stronger federal support and coordination. Today’s announcement responds to that urgency with a Countering Extortion Partnership that strengthens collaboration with Peel Regional Police, dedicated financial intelligence experts to support local investigations, and expanded FINTRAC resources to disrupt criminal networks. We thank the Government of Canada for delivering concrete tools as a helpful first step towards protecting our community and supporting affected businesses.” - Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton
​“Brampton has demonstrated leadership in elevating the urgent threat posed by organized extortion. Stronger financial intelligence and deeper collaboration between governments, financial institutions and law enforcement will drive real results on the ground. We remain committed to supporting affected businesses and advancing coordinated solutions to keep our city safe.” - Harkirat Singh, Deputy Mayor and City Councillor, Wards 9 & 10

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Media Contact
City of Brampton Media Relations
MediaRelations@Brampton.ca