Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart wants another meeting with officials from the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, but this time he wants to talk about security at the facility.

Last week, a patient escaped from the hospital, only to be picked up by police in Vancouver a few hours later and returned.

But the mayor said the incident brings up extra concerns about the hospital, especially since the patient had escaped on two previous occasions.

"That raises, obviously, some additional concern as to whether or not the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital can provide a reasonable assurance that they're doing all they can to keep the population that needs to be secure behind the fence," he told The NOW.

Stewart said he doesn't want to second-guess the security in place at the hospital, but has inquired about the issue in the past, adding he doesn't feel the facility is particularly secure.

He said the hospital indicated it doesn't need to be because the population is being treated by medication.

But the previous answers about security don't appear good enough for Stewart anymore.

"Clearly, here's an example of someone who's shown he isn't going to stay behind the fence," he said. "I can't imagine why he would have been given the kinds of yard freedom in order to escape three times in the last couple of years."

Stewart said he wants to make sure the community has confidence in the hospital, so the public can embrace its service as it has for the last 100 years.

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), which oversees the hospital, declined comment to The NOW. On Thursday, Matthew David Mikolajczyk, 29, was reported missing from the hospital as an unauthorized absence. Coquitlam RCMP issued a Canada-wide warrant for the missing man - who also escaped in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, police captured him on Saturna Island following a four-hour search.

Mikolajczyk was previously found guilty of assault, willfully resisting or obstructing a police officer and breach of probation in cases dating to 2004. He has also been found not criminally responsible due to a mental defect, and unfit to stand trial.

In July, the Coquitlam mayor met with a panel tasked with looking into community leaves from psychiatric facilities to air his concerns over unescorted day passes.

Stewart did praise the facility for its timely response in letting the RCMP and public know about the latest missing person.

Earlier this year, two patients went missing on unescorted day passes. David Fomradas, 34, and Gregory Schleen, 49, went missing from the hospital within days of each other back in May.

Schleen was picked up by Vancouver police in August, while Fomradas remains at large.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com