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Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is criticizing the federal government after two dangerous criminals were released into her community.
On Monday, the BC RCMP reported that a 58-year-old man Leonardo Ramstead He now lived in Surrey.
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The notice of Ramstead’s release was made under the Canada Privacy Act regarding a dangerous sex offender.
In 2019, Ramstead was found guilty of sexual interference of a person under 16 years of age and in 2021 he was found guilty of sexual interference of a person under 14 years of age. It represents a risk for young children and adolescent girls.
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Ramstead is 5-foot-6 and weighs 234 pounds.
he can’t be in, near or around any place where children 16 years of age or younger gather.
Last Thursday, BC RCMP warned a 44-year-old man. Michael Popeka dangerous sex offender, had been released and was living in Surrey.
Popek is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has brown eyes and short brown hair.
Popek is on statutory release before he completes his sentence in December 2025, after which he will be subject to a 10-year long-term supervision order.
In 2020, Popek was found guilty of sexually assaulting four women between 2015 and 2016 and posing a risk to teenage girls and adult women, including strangers.
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“I am absolutely shocked and outraged that not one, but two dangerous sex offenders have been released into our community in just two weeks,” Locke said.
“It is beyond comprehension why several high-risk offenders are being released in our city, which has the largest youth population in British Columbia. This is absolutely unacceptable. “The blatant disregard for the safety of our community, particularly our most vulnerable people, is a grave injustice that cannot be ignored.”
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Locke said Corrections Canada needed to ensure dangerous offenders were released into all British Columbia jurisdictions in a proportionate manner.
“This burden must fall on all communities. Furthermore, I ask for rigorous follow-up upon the release of such individuals into this community so that it does not place an additional burden on our police service and create risks for our residents. The protection of our community must be prioritized above all else,” he said.
Locke is in the middle of a legal battle with the British Columbia government over his desire to retain the RCMP in Surrey and not continue the deployment of the Surrey Police Service.
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