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The Surrey mayor, who has been at odds with the Mounties since he was elected on a campaign promise to form a municipal police force, criticized the RCMP for a lack of transparency and demanded to know where Singh was.

“I am frustrated by the lack of information coming from the RCMP,” he said. “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.”

Asst. Commissioner Brian Edwards, who commands the Surrey RCMP, acknowledged the frustration of McCallum and other residents in a statement on Friday afternoon.

“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,” said Edwards.

Edwards also addressed McCallum’s demand for more transparency, saying that he personally advised the mayor about Singh on two separate occasions and provided all information the RCMP could legally give him.

“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,” he said.

hmooney@postmedia.com

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