In a written statement, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says staff within the City’s Development, Buildings and Licensing Department are now required to make their phone numbers visible when communicating with the public.

This is in effort to increase transparency and security in response to recent extortion threats in the city.

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“To protect residents from extortion, the City’s Development, Buildings and Licensing Department now requires all inspectors […] to ensure their official City phone numbers are visible when contacting the public,” Sim said.

Building, electrical, plumbing, gas, and animal services staff are subjected to the change.

The statement adds that the public can always verify phone numbers by calling 311.

In recent weeks, many Vancouver builders, predominantly from the Punjabi community, came forward and spoke out against extortion threats they have received against their businesses.

This has prompted many builders to pull down job-site signs and scrub their online and public presence.

“We are living in fear. People are removing signs, just so they aren’t targeted next,” one builder who wants to remain anonymous told OMNI News.

The fear has not only led to reduced work for those contractors but also to delays in development projects around Vancouver.

“They’re worried that if they attract too much attention, they could become targets,” one of the builders said, adding that some projects have been delayed or cancelled as a precaution.

The affected builders have called on Ken Sim and his government to revise certain policies aimed at promoting transparency.

They argue that when too much development and permit information is publicly accessible online, it makes it easier for extortionists to identify potential targets.

The City’s statement on Wednesday adds that any extortion threats should be shared with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD).

Currently, the VPD is investigating four incidents of extortion. However, it adds that the actual number of victims is likely higher.