British ColumbiaPolice in Abbotsford have launched a new exit-support program, targeting people involved in planning or carrying out extortion-related violence, offering them an exit strategy. A number of shootings in both Abbotsford and Surrey have been linked to extortion.Police say youth and young adults are often lured to take part in extortion violenceThe Canadian Press · Posted: Dec 04, 2025 6:04 PM EST | Last Updated: December 4Listen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Bullet holes are pictured on a car parked in the driveway of a house along the 2500-block of Janzen Street in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Tuesday, Nov., 18, 2025. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Police in Abbotsford, B.C., have launched a new program targeting people involved in planning or carrying out extortion-related violence, offering them an exit strategy. The department says the new intervention and exit program called “Project Disengage” is designed for people recruited into extortion violence, noting that organized crime groups “have long exploited vulnerable individuals for criminal activities.”Police say vulnerable people, such as youth and young adults, are often lured to take part because of the possible financial gains and difficult circumstances they might be in, and the program offers support for people seeking a way out.AbbyPD established a local task force to fight extortion this year, in addition to taking part in a similar provincial operation that is dedicated to the cases after a rise in violence linked to extortion over the last two years.WATCH | An Abbotsford extortion victim shares his story:Extortion victim shares story as violence in Abbotsford continuesAn Abbotsford extortion victim said he’s considering leaving the country after 20 years in Canada following an early morning shooting at his business. As CBC’s Kier Junos explained, many in the community are feeling on edge as extortion crime continues in the Fraser Valley.Police have linked a number of shootings in both Abbotsford and Surrey to extortion.Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens said in a statement that the new project is an attempt to address extortion-violence “at its roots.””Violence and extortion have no place in Abbotsford, and we are hopeful that those involved in extortion-related crime connect with Project Disengage and get the help they need to safely and permanently exit this lifestyle,” Siemens said.
Abbotsford police launch intervention program to address extortions’ roots
