Pubdate: Thu, 18 Aug 2005
Source: Aldergrove Star (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Central Fraser Valley Star Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.aldergrovestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/989
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

JOINT FORCES TO FIGHT CRIME

Police and academics at two Lower Mainland Universities are teaming up to 
share information and the latest research on how to best combat crime, 
Solicitor General John Les announced.

"This innovative crime-fighting partnership is the first agreement of its 
kind in Canada," Les said.

"It is an intelligence-based approach that is the future of crime 
reduction. By giving police the tools they need to attack crime in new ways 
we will gain the knowledge we need to better allocate police resources and 
create safer communities across B.C."

The three-party information-sharing agreement was signed at the University 
College of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford. The Centre for Criminal Justice 
Research on campus has been a leader in research on grow operations and 
crystal meth in B.C., auto crime, highly recidivistic offenders and crime 
prevention.

A partner lab, the Institute of Canadian Urban Research Studies at Simon 
Fraser University carries out multidisciplinary research on urban issues 
and problems in Canada and they are also part of the agreement, along with 
the RCMP.

Using computer technology and expert analysis, criminologists at both 
campuses will work together analyzing crime data to look at, among other 
things, the root causes of crime, crime hot spots, and repeat offenders.

They will constantly be in touch with their counterparts around the world 
and will be able to instantly provide police with access to crime reduction 
techniques from international experts to help identify strategies that will 
work in B.C.

At the same time, RCMP will provide the researchers with their own police 
data to complete the picture, and ultimately, point the way to reducing 
crime in the future.

"Crime today is much more organized and complex than in the past so we have 
to fight back with smarter tools," said Bev Busson, RCMP deputy 
commissioner of the Pacific region and C.O. of "E" Division.

"That's why we're putting our heads together and building new alliances to 
tackle crime with superior knowledge and strong, committed cooperation."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom