The Impact of Sentencing and Other Judicial Decisions on the Children of Parents in Conflict with the Law: Implications for Sentencing Reform

by

The situation of children whose parents are involved in adult criminal proceedings is emerging as a pressing public policy concern. There is a growing body of empirical evidence recognizing the adverse effects for dependent children both as direct and indirect victims of their parents’ criminal behaviour and in relation to criminal justice decisions about their … Read more

The Reduction of Parking Restrictions around Fire Hydrants: An Examination of Parking Distances and Setback Regulations

by

Fire hydrants are a crucial part of British Columbia (BC) communities’ fire prevention system and a source of water. In the City of Surrey, Engineering Operations and Surrey firefighters maintain and repair hydrants located on public land. As is the case in most urban centres in BC, fire hydrants in Surrey are connected to the … Read more

Designing Out Crime

by

The book Eliminating Crime (Cohen et al., 2014) focused on seven strategies the police could employ to reduce crime. Despite our confidence in the importance of those strategies and the ability of police to execute them, we are aware that the police alone cannot make crime go away. Crime prevention is a societal matter that relies on a commitment from the entire … Read more

Targeted Residential Fire Risk Reduction: A Summary of At-Risk Aboriginal Areas in Canada

by

Despite the steady reduction in rates of fire that have been witnessed in Canada in recent years, ongoing research has demonstrated that there continue to be striking inequalities in the way in which fire risk is distributed through society. It is well-established that residential dwelling fires are not distributed evenly through society, but that certain … Read more

Occupational Health and Safety at Surrey Engineering Operations: An Examination of Frequency, Severity, and Temporal Aspects

by

Engineering Operations is responsible for the maintenance of the City of Surrey’s municipal infrastructure, and employs a range of staff from administrators and clerks to tradespersons and labourers. These employees are essential to the efficient operation of Engineering Operations, and their exposure to risk of injury is largely based on their job roles and responsibilities. … Read more

Life Safety Systems, Fire Department Intervention, and Residential Fire Outcomes: Analysis of 28 Years of BC Fire Incident Reports: 1988-2015

by

This report examines 42,701 residential1 fire incidents reported to the British Columbia (BC) Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) between 1988 and 2015, inclusive (22.4% of the 190,564 fire incidents reported over this time). The high-level purpose of this analysis was to examine the significance of the method of fire control and fire safety systems … Read more

Assessing the Safety of Smart Meter Installations in British Columbia: Analysis of Residential Structure Fires in BC between July 2010 and June 2016

by

In June 2011, BC Hydro commenced implementation of its Smart Metering Program, which involved converting every residential property in British Columbia from legacy metering to wireless technology smart meters. This Smart Metering Program involves replacing existing electrical meters that are now becoming obsolete, with a comprehensive wireless smart metering system. In total, BC Hydro has … Read more

Targeted Residential Fire Risk Reduction: A Summary of At-Risk Areas in Tennessee

by

Reducing fires and saving lives is a mandate for all Fire Services. Globally, many departments have implemented door to door campaigns to educate their citizens on fire reduction and safety (TriData, 2009). However, focusing on an entire community is expensive, time consuming, and overall, an inefficient use of limited resources. A 2007 TriData report on … Read more

Illuminating the Hazards of Residential Marijuana Grow Operations

by

Much has changed in the marijuana-production landscape in the United States and Canada in recent years, from the expanding legalization and decriminalization of marijuana use in the U.S. to changes in Canada’s regulation of how medical marijuana may be grown and sold. Amid these changes, recent research shows that growing marijuana within a residential setting … Read more