As Mayor of Brampton and a member of the Peel Regional Police Services Board, I recently appeared before the federal committee reviewing Bill C-22 because our communities cannot afford further delays in the fight against organized crime.
Across Peel Region, we are seeing the devastating impact of extortion, human trafficking, child exploitation, auto theft, and organized criminal networks operating with increasing sophistication. Criminal organizations are using encrypted communications, digital platforms, and modern technology to intimidate families, target businesses, and evade law enforcement. Meanwhile, police are often forced to wait weeks or even months for critical digital evidence that could stop crimes before more victims are harmed.
In Peel Region alone, there were 476 extortion incidents targeting families and businesses over the past year. These are not abstract statistics. These are real residents whose lives have been turned upside down. Families have had their homes shot at. Business owners have been threatened. Children have been left terrified in their own homes.
At committee, I shared the heartbreaking story of a father who told me his children could not sleep for months after their home was attacked in an extortion-related incident. No family in Canada should have to live in fear like that.
The testimony from police leaders across Ontario reinforced the urgency of modernizing Canada’s lawful access framework.
Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique made it clear that virtually every serious criminal investigation today has a digital component. Organized crime groups, fraudsters, child predators, violent offenders, and extremists are increasingly relying on encrypted communications and anonymized digital tools to coordinate criminal activity while frustrating police investigations.
Commissioner Carrique also emphasized an important point that deserves repeating: Bill C-22 is not about unchecked police powers or mass surveillance. It does not authorize warrantless interceptions, eliminate judicial oversight, or provide unrestricted access to Canadians’ private online activity. Judicial authorization and Charter protections remain firmly in place.
Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich echoed those concerns from the frontline perspective of investigators working directly in communities like Brampton and Mississauga. He described how organized crime groups, extortionists, human traffickers, fraud networks, and child exploitation offenders now operate primarily through digital platforms, while police are still forced to rely on investigative laws built for a pre-digital world.
Deputy Chief Milinovich spoke directly about the devastating extortion crisis affecting Peel Region. He referenced the recent Peel Regional Police investigation that led to 17 arrests connected to violent extortion targeting the South Asian business community. During that investigation, the suspects were allegedly responsible for firing more than 320 rounds in our community, accounting for over half of all illegal firearm discharges in Peel Region this year.
While Peel Regional Police achieved important results through exceptional investigative work, Deputy Chief Milinovich noted that the investigation took seven months and could have moved faster if Bill C-22 had already been in place. Faster access to digital evidence could have helped prevent additional violence, prevent more victimization, and better protect the community.
He also described the frustrating reality investigators face today. A digital threat may originate from an encrypted platform, anonymous IP address, or online profile, but identifying the correct telecommunications provider or securing judicial authorizations can take weeks of bureaucratic delays. By the time police obtain the necessary information, evidence may already be deleted, trails go cold, and criminals continue targeting victims.
That is why Bill C-22 matters.
This legislation would modernize lawful access rules so investigators can respond more quickly and effectively when there is reasonable suspicion of serious criminal activity. Production orders that currently take weeks could move faster. International evidence requests that now take months could be streamlined. Investigators would have the ability to identify suspects sooner, intervene earlier, and stop crimes before they escalate into violence.
Importantly, police leaders were unanimous that privacy and public safety must coexist. Commissioner Carrique and Deputy Chief Milinovich both emphasized that Bill C-22 preserves judicial oversight, Charter protections, and legal accountability. The legislation does not compel companies to weaken encryption or create cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Instead, it establishes a balanced legal framework that protects Canadians while ensuring criminal organizations cannot exploit outdated laws to operate with impunity.
At the recent Big City Mayors’ Caucus, municipal leaders from across Canada urged the federal government to move forward with stronger tools for local police services because communities everywhere are facing the same growing threats.
The message from law enforcement has been clear: timely access to critical digital evidence can save lives, solve crimes faster, and prevent future victims. We cannot allow organized crime to benefit from delay and indecision.
The residents of Brampton deserve safe neighbourhoods, protected businesses, and peace of mind for their families. I will continue advocating for the resources, legislation, and support our police services need to keep our community safe.
