Edmonton police chief speaks on arson investigation

Outgoing Edmonton police chief Dale Mcfee sits down with CityNews to discuss topics around policing in the city.

Including a series of arson extortion’s on Edmonton’s South Asian community called Project Gaslight.

“One person from another country — directing others, all this stuff is still solvable, it’s just way more complex,” says Mcfee.

This summer, six people were charged in connection to a string of arson’s targeting South Asian home builders in Edmonton. Part of a joint effort between Edmonton police and the RCMP, which Mcfee says is being directed by people outside of the country.

Investigators released videos of suspects they say are involved in the arson’s earlier this year. Adding there were 40 incidents causing over 10 million dollars in property damage.

It’s not just Project Gaslight, police are also investigating 24 separate arson’s in south east Edmonton, with a 39-year-old man being charged in connection to 1 of them earlier this month.

As well police are arresting a 21-year-old man in Calgary, in which Edmonton investigators say is responsible for a string of arsons, with notes demanding bitcoin from homeowners.

Chief Mcfee says Project Gaslight may have inspired copycats.

“I think people try to take advantage of seeing this as a lucrative way of making money. But I can tell you with a high degree of confidence, we know who they are and we’re going to get them — and we’re very close on several of those files — and it’s not going to be good for them. They’re trying to take the lives and the livelihoods of Edmontonians,” says Mcfee.