The Town of Oliver hopes the Ministry of Justice will take it seriously after what offender Ronald Teneycke did to the community this summer.
The mayor of Oliver has some strong words for the Ministry of Justice regarding Ronald Teneycke’s reign of terror this summer.
In a letter to Attorney General Suzanne Anton, Mayor Ron Hovanes said the province needs to do a better job in protecting the public.
The mayor noted that the prolific offender (Teneycke) was allowed to reside in small communities with limited police resources.
“When he was finally apprehended, it was not local RCMP that captured him. It took a trained tactical team with assault rifles to bring him in.”
Hovanes said society willingly spends tax dollars on a regular basis to ensure people who are at risk to themselves or others are looked after.
“How is it that we allow dangerous offenders, who are deemed to likely re-offend, walk our streets freely?”
The mayor asked the ministry to assist in lobbying for dangerous offender status for Teneycke.
“The Town of Oliver and our rural areas have had our share of Ron Teneycke’s threatening presence. We truly believe that he should not be allowed to share a free place in our society again.”
As background, the mayor explained that Teneycke was released in the Town of Oliver in 2008 (after serving a prison sentence for sexual assault).
He was released with a public warning that he would likely re-offend.
At that time, the Town asked the ministry that high-risk individuals not be released to communities where their crime was committed. It also asked that the province ensure adequate resources to ensure public safety.
Teneycke’s criminal undertakings in Oliver this summer resulted in several charges, including robbery and aggravated assault.
Hovanes reminded Anton that Teneycke is charged with shooting an Oliver resident who lost his spleen and “very nearly his life.”
