WINNIPEG — He terrorized the city, armoured car guards, bank employees and Winnipeg police officers during a seven year crime spree.
Michael Syrnyk, now 47, was sentenced in December 2002 to 21 and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to dozens of charges. They included armed robberies of banks and armoured cars — many of which involved the exchange of gunfire. During that time he stole more than $300,000.
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But Global News has learned that throughout Syrnyk’s 15-year incarceration, he was taken out of jail on more a dozen occasions and worked closely with police.
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One of those times was in 2012, when he was brought out to speak to a room full of police officers during an annual conference.
He spoke candidly about his crimes and how he planned them. Syrnyk was closely monitored by heavily armed tactical police members the entire time he attended the conference.
However, that wasn’t the only instance where he saw the outside of his Stony Mountain jail cell. During the latter years of his sentence, Syrnyk was involved in a number of rehabilitation programs at Stony Mountain Institute. He had escorted temporary absences where he did volunteer work.
Now that he has served two-thirds of his sentence, Syrnyk was released Friday. He will be staying at a high-security community correctional centre similar to a half-way house and must follow several strict conditions.
However, there is still concern among many officers on the police force.
“We have to put our faith in the National Parole Board,” said Cst. Tammy Skrabek with the Winnipeg Police Service.
“As the police, our concern is based on history. He has offended horrifically in Winnipeg. You (had) firearms being discharged, you had officers being injured, you had public safety being compromised.”
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Under his release conditions, Syrnyk must abide by a curfew, he must be in constant communication with his parole officer and must disclose any relationships.
“(The National Parole Board) decided he can successfully be released in the community without re-offending violently,” said Cst. Skrabek.
“While he is a concern based on his history, we have to trust that things are in place to monitor him.”
He will be under constant surveillance and is being monitored 24 hours a day.
“The offender is well aware that he is being watched,” said Cst. Skrabek. “When he leaves the residence he needs to report where he’s going, who he’s going to be with. He needs to inform everybody what programs he is taking and when he is going to be back. All of those people are going to be communicating 24/7.”
If any of his release restrictions are breached, an immediate Canada-wide arrest warrant will be issued and he will be taken into custody.
Still, officers said the fear and terror he inflicted during his crime sprees will always be on their minds.
“Officers aren’t going to forget that incident,” said Cst. Skrabek. “The officers that were involved, or ones that have been hired since. Everybody knows about this incident. There is always going to be a concern for safety. He’s always going to be in the back of everybody’s mind. But at the same time… he is human and we need to give him that opportunity to participate in programs and reintegrate into the community and not sabotage those efforts.”
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