I was going to celebrate my birthday, but when I heard you were talking about such an important topic, I did not want to miss this opportunity to speak on behalf of the residents of Brampton and the Peel region, where we have unfortunately faced significant criminal activity and where Bill C-22 could have made a world of difference.
I want to share a few things with the committee today.
Organized crime is sophisticated. I wear two hats, one as mayor of Brampton and one as a member of the Peel Police Service Board. Commissioner Carrique's comments, which were so eloquent, were what I hear from our senior police. This could be the most significant investigative tool for police since DNA evidence changed the game.
Organized crime does not want Canada to update our lawful access legislation. Frankly, they've been able to conduct criminal activity with impunity in our country. Police have their hands tied, and it's unfortunate. There are more victims and there are more preventable crimes. I'm sure that if this committee or the Parliament of Canada dithers or delays, the Bishnoi gang will be elated, the Sinaloa cartel will be elated and For Brothers will be elated, but there will be more victims.
I come from a community where I've seen too many cases of child exploitation, human trafficking and extortions. Don't even get me started on extortions, because they have terrorized our community. I can tell you that in Peel region over the last year, we've had 476 extortions on families and businesses. This legislation is absolutely critical for us to be able to hold these criminal organizations accountable.
In the case of extortions, production orders can take three, four or five weeks, and sometimes even longer. There are continuous delays. With these delays on production orders, investigations go cold.
Police investigations are most efficient when they have the tools to do their job, and I can tell you that organized crime is utilizing all of these modern technology tools. When investigators have to wait 45 days for critical information, video from local cameras disappears, critical evidence disappears and more innocent victims are traumatized.
I've had victims call me. I had a father call me who said, “My kids can't sleep after our house was shot up.” Can you imagine having your children not being able to sleep for months because they were terrorized by an extortion? These extortions could have been prevented if the police had the tools to do their job.
I know there were concerns from the opposition over the initial incarnation of this bill. However, I can tell you—and I know the Peel police have been involved in providing input—that this is a balanced approach that gives the police the same tools as other Five Eyes countries. I know there are going to be tech lobbyists aggressively lobbying against this bill for their own reasons, but if this works in other Five Eyes countries where there is a balance between protecting privacy and giving police the tools to do their jobs, we can find that balance in Canada.
I was at the big city mayors' caucus, where we lobbied Prime Minister Carney specifically to give local police forces this tool that is so critical. For those who have privacy concerns, my message would be this: Don't commit a crime. Don't be involved in a heinous crime. Then you won't have your privacy abridged.
You hear law enforcement saying that it will be utilized only when there is reasonable suspicion of a crime. If we have video evidence of someone being involved in a crime, it shouldn't take 45 days to get that digital information.
This is the new warfare. I read these police reports and I study them. I can tell you that I have asked our senior leadership in the Peel Regional Police again and again how long this investigation would have taken if we had lawful access. Time and time again, they respond that it would be a fraction of the time. For investigations that have gone cold, this could have made a difference by actually preventing crime and preventing more victims, so I implore this committee to not dither and delay.
If there are reasonable adjustments and amendments, we have reasonable parliamentarians here. Please find that consensus, but do not dither and delay. The only people you will please with any dither and delay on this critical information that law enforcement is begging for are organized crime members.
I'm happy to be before this honourable committee today.