Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research
Here is a book that provides the tools for any police organization to drive down crime. It sets out the proven principles for making a community safe. It will allow police leaders and agencies to design their own strategies to solve the unique challenges to make any community safe.
In 2005, British Columbia launched an ambitious, police-led crime reduction initiative in response to rising crime and the proliferation of drug-related gang violence, at a time when Vancouver was labelled the property crime capital of Canada and Surrey the auto theft capital of the world (Cohen et al., 2014). The initiative rested on the premise … Read more
Police calls for service involving persons with mental illness (PWMI) are common in British Columbia, often involving repeat contacts with the criminal justice system. While Crisis Intervention Training is widely used, co-responder models that pair police officers with mental health professionals, have also been implemented. These models aim to reduce harm, stabilize individuals, and preventing … Read more
Persons with mental illness are at increased likelihood of coming into contact with the police (Hartford et al., 2005; Livingstone, 2016). Between 5% and 20% of all police calls for service may involve mental health crises (Abramson, 2021; Balfour et al., 2022; Cotton & Coleman, 2010; Ghelani et al., 2023; Hodgkinson & Andresen, 2019; Koziarski … Read more
In contrast to the decline in overall police-reported crime, overall, hate crimes are on the rise in many areas in Canada, including British Columbia. This increase has provided a sense of urgency in the search for appropriate and effective responses to hate incidents and hate crime. Although there is a legal framework for addressing hate … Read more
A report commissioned by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) in 2018 noted the health risks associated with residential homes involved in drug production and recommended a standardized provincial approach to addressing the remediation of these residential homes. The health hazards and safety issues associated with drug production in residential homes are complex, as … Read more
In British Columbia, any person who is fearful of being victimized by a family member, including a current or former intimate partner, can apply for a civil protection order under Section 183 of the provincial Family Law Act.1 Civil protection orders are issued if the court decides that a family member is at-risk of experiencing … Read more
Strangulation by an intimate partner is one of the most significant risk factors for future lethality. Often referred to by victims-survivors as “choking”, strangulation involves the external compression of airways and blood flow, for example by using hands (manual) or a belt or rope (ligature). Strangulation is a highly gendered form of intimate partner abuse, … Read more
Restorative justice seeks to involve victims, offenders, and community members in a collaborative approach to resolving crime. It provides an opportunity for offenders to take responsibility for their actions and to understand the effects of their behaviour. Often associated with youth crime and lower severity crimes, restorative justice seeks to create dialogue and engagement towards … Read more
Changes are being considered to the British Columbia, Ontario and National Building Codes in Canada to permit single egress stairs in residential buildings of three to eight storeys. The purpose of this report is to summarize the views of proponents and opponents of this change, explore the findings of relevant research and data, and identify … Read more
Interagency Case Assessment Teams (ICATs) were introduced in British Columbia in 2010 in response to a high-profile domestic violence homicide that occurred on Vancouver Island. ICATs were developed by the Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC) and their Community Coordination for Women’s Safety (CCWS) program and were formalized in an amendment to the provincial … Read more