Vol. 80, No. 2
Life lessons Building blocks for crime prevention
Table of contents
Editorial message
Getting ahead of crime
As one school director in our issue points out: "Prevention has never been glamourous." For many, it's hard to get excited about crime prevention.
News notes
Program helps police address social issues
For years, RCMP officers in Yellowknife, N.W.T. were swamped with repeat calls for social disorder offences that weren't always criminal in nature — such as an unwanted person in a mall, or someone sleeping in a vestibule.
New mapping tool will help track offenders
York Regional Police (YRP) in Ontario will launch a new crime mapping software tool that provides a picture of all known offenders and criminal activity in an officer's area.
Social media followers help investigators
When investigators with Nova Scotia's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit started to worry a suspect could soon be on the run, the RCMP's social media followers may have saved the day.
Labrador RCMP say trackers can save lives
Matthew Lougheed and his snowmobiling partner hunkered down in a remote cove on the rugged coast of Labrador after bad weather and rough terrain put a premature end to their trip from Hopedale to Natuashish.
Cover stories
Small town, big event
When it's your country's turn to host a massive international event that will be the focus of the world, one thing on your long to-do list is to keep the locals informed.
Straight talk
When it comes to addressing gang violence in Surrey, B.C., RCMP officers are spending more time in elementary and middle schools.
Talking terrorism
When police visit schools and talk to communities, familiar topics like bullying, drugs and internet safety are often the focus. While these issues are important, broader topics such as terrorism often get pushed to the wayside.
Pocket-sized prevention
On many university campuses, sexual consent is a hot-button issue, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, B.C., is no exception.
Intervening in time
On January 29, 2017, a man entered a mosque in Quebec City, Que., and opened fire, killing six people and injuring five others as they kneeled for their evening prayers.
Maskwacis intervention
In 2012, the Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis, Alta., was in crisis. Violent crime was at an all-time high and school absenteeism was through the roof — more than 300 young people were involved in 13 gangs in the First Nations community.
Coastal connection
When an orphaned bear cub was found roaming the First Nations village of Oweekeno, B.C., the community called the RCMP's West Coast Marine Services unit for help.
Survival skills
Some First Nation youth in British Columbia are taking advantage of outdoor programs to learn more about the land, their culture and themselves. But the camps also provide the RCMP with a chance to connect with the communities they serve.
On high alert
As wildfires roared across the forests, grasslands and towns of British Columbia last summer, a dedicated unit of RCMP officers from Aboriginal Policing Services (APS) helped Indigenous communities under siege.
Panel discussion
How can police presence in schools help with prevention?
Crime prevention and other awareness initiatives for youth — whether to stop bullying, violence, drug use or impaired driving — are often delivered by police officers in a school setting. But how effective is this approach?
Q & A
Bridging the gap
Maryah Walker is a community program officer at the RCMP's La Loche detachment in Saskatchewan. She was the first person in the province to hold the civilian job, a role that involves working with the community and police.
Ask an expert
Pinpointing patterns
To the untrained eye, crimes can seem sporadic, following no rhyme or reason. It's RCMP crime analyst Kim Audette's job to make sense of it. Amelia Thatcher spoke to Audette to see how she links crimes to help crack cases.
Detachment profile
Pincher Creek
Despite serving a low-crime region in southwestern Alberta that boasts some of the most iconic Canadian scenery, police officers at the RCMP's Pincher Creek detachment still deal with criminal activity and cope with natural disasters.
Training
Teaching a dog new tricks
Handlers with the RCMP's Police Dog Services unit spend years preparing themselves and their canine partners physically and mentally for the rigours of police work. It's a commitment to training that never stops.
Best practice
Caught red-handed
In 2016, Sgt. Greg Woodcox noticed a spike in the number of transient, homeless and drug-dependent downtown residents caught shoplifting on surveillance video in Kelowna, B.C.
Last page
Police as teachers
Once per week, Cst. Rita Gillis sits down with a Grade 4 class in Okotoks, Alta,. and reads them a story. As part of the WITS Program, officers like Gillis use books to teach kids how to cope with bullying.
NOTE: An electronic version of this issue of Gazette magazine is available.
Masthead
- Publisher:
- Kevin Fowler
- Editor:
-
- Katherine Aldred
- Writers:
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- Paul Northcott
Amelia Thatcher
- Paul Northcott
- Web publisher:
- Richard Vieira
- Graphic design:
- Jennifer Wale
- Translation:
- RCMP Translation Services
- Printing:
- St. Joseph Communications
- Date modified: