Surrey’s mayor is furious after day-parole was granted to man named GARY JAGUR SINGH aka the 'Marpole Rapist' who was convicted of the violent sexual assaults of 11 women.
Doug McCallum called the Parole Board’s decision “infuriating,” “irresponsible,” and “troubling.”
Read his full Statement below:
The news that Gary Jagur Singh (Marpole Rapist) will be released on day parole in our city is not only disturbing but infuriating to the people of Surrey.
The Parole Board of Canada acknowledges that Singh’s sexual deviancy can never be cured. In a previous day parole Singh breached his conditions and he has been denied full parole now, which makes his release to a halfway house in Surrey all the more irresponsible and troubling.
Singh is a designated dangerous offender and I am frustrated by the lack of information coming from the RCMP. For the safety of the people of Surrey, I believe that our residents need to be told where this prolific sexual predator is residing in Surrey. That information should be made available immediately.
Mayor Doug McCallum
RCMP's say Singh's case didn't meet the threshold for police to make a public disclosure about it. Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards said Surrey RCMP share many of the mayor's concerns.
Read his full statement below:
I acknowledge the frustration expressed by Mayor McCallum in the news release he issued today (January 10, 2020) regarding the release of a dangerous offender into Surrey. While the Surrey RCMP share many of these concerns, it is important to recognize there is a significant process in place by the Parole Board of Canada to determine if and when an offender can be released into the community and the conditions they are put under.
When the Surrey RCMP were notified of this individual’s release into Surrey, we conducted our own assessment that included the fulsome decision made by Parole Board of Canada. Unfortunately, the threshold for a Public Interest Disclosure was not met in this situation for a variety of reasons including whether the individual posed an imminent threat, the recommended conditions, and the strong release plan approved by the Parole Board. However, we are aware of the significant conditions in place for this individual, including electronic monitoring, and we will be monitoring this individual, along with Correctional Service Canada.
I personally advised Mayor McCallum of the situation on two separate occasions and provided him the information that could legally be provided to him regarding this situation. While I acknowledge that the limited information that the police are able to provide in these cases can cause frustration, we have a legal obligation to balance the privacy of individuals and the risk to public safety. Police can only breach that privacy under the strictest of circumstances and, in this situation, that threshold was not reached.
I share the public’s concern on this matter. I can assure the residents of Surrey that the correct processes were followed in this situation, and that we have a team specifically assigned to monitoring these type of offenders to ensure they do not breach their conditions or impact public safety in any manner.
Statement from Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards
Surrey