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Forensics Blog

Investigate it: Forensics at BCIT

June 15th Is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

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Younger woman hitting older woman with caneAccording to the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse:

“June 15, 2006 was the debut of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). The day is in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action which recognizes the significance of abuse and neglect of older adults as a public health and human rights issue. Throughout the world, senior abuse and neglect is largely under-recognized or treated as an unspoken problem.”

BCIT Forensic Science and Technology wants to increase this awareness and will be holding a Focus on Elder Mistreatment workshop on June 15, 2012.
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BCIT Forensics in the News!

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David McKay's appearance on Daily PlanetDave McKay, Program Coordinator for our Forensic Science program, has recently been featured in news articles in the Vancouver Province and National newspapers, and also appeared on TV for CTV and Daily Planet.

You might have heard in the news about the hang glider pilot, William Jonathan Orders, who was taken into custody on obstruction of justice charges. Orders was conducting a tandem flight with 27-year-old Lemani Godinez when she fell to her death last Saturday outside of Agassiz. Orders swallowed a memory card from a digital camera that was mounted on the glider that police deemed as evidence. The police are holding the pilot with the hope that he can “produce” the evidence (ie. the memory card) related to the fatal flight.

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Forensics at Open House

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Sorry for the long gap between posts! Open House preparation has a way of eating up all your time. At least I have a few photos, taken by our institute photographer Scott McAlpine, to show for all that effort. Over 18,000 people attended Open House, and our little displays were kept busy for the entire two days. Many thanks go to all the staff that participated and all the attendees that spent time with us. The next Open House will be in 2014.

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Forensics Will Be at BCIT’s Open House

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Logo for BCIT's Open HouseAs the graphic on the left indicates, BCIT’s Open House is coming soon. It’s a two-day event that gives you the opportunity to learn about BCIT programs, check-out student-created displays, meet current students, test-drive applied hands-on learning and win prizes by entering our Open House Challenge.

Open House 2012 will take place on Friday, April 13 from 09:00 to 16:00 and Saturday, April 14, 2012 from 09:00 to 15:00. Register to attend, and then take a look at how to get here.

Forensics will be participating in the event, and you can find us in SE2-TownSquare C, very close to the Welcome Tent in the centre of campus. Computer Crime, Forensic Health Sciences, Forensic Science and the CSI Academy will all be participating with interactive displays and activities. And when you complete 3 activities, you can enter a draw to win a $200 Metrotown gift card, so be sure to check us out!

Calgary Police Service Hiring 3 Crime Analysts

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Logo of the Calgary Police ServiceThe Real Time Operations Centre (RTOC) of the Calgary Police Service is currently looking for 3 Crime Analysts. Just to give you a little information about the Centre and these positions, the RTOC is open 24/7 to provide real-time intelligence and investigative support to both frontline patrol officers and detectives. Four teams comprised of 2 Duty Inspectors (one inside and one outside), 3 sworn positions (providing deconfliction, investigative, and directed patrol support), and 5 civilians (1 Crime Analyst and 4 Information Coordinators/Data Miners) staff the Centre.

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A Cross-Campus Dialogue: Trafficking in Children

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Child looking through a foggy windowTrafficking in Children: It happens in Canada. What can we do to stop it?

A Cross-Campus Dialogue

Presentations from local and international experts in the field of human trafficking:

Prof. Benjamin Perrin: UBC Law at Allard Hall / Author, Invisible Chains: Canada’s Underground World of Human Trafficking
Robin Pike: Former Executive Director, BC Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons
Damienne Darby: Crown Prosecutor, BC Ministry of Attorney General
Melissa Hyland: Caring for First Nations Children Society
Tara Wilke: Forensic Nurse, Surrey Memorial Hospital
Rosalind Currie: Director, BC Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons
Prof. Richard Sullivan: UBC School of Social Work
with a presentation by the Children of the Street Society

$10.00 includes lunch + materials. There is also a $1.00 online payment fee.

Event Details
Date: Saturday, March 10, 2012
Time: 10:00 to 15:00
Location: UBC Faculty of Law Forum (room 101) in Allard Hall
Event Coordinator: Megan Coyle (coyle@law.ubc.ca)

Visit the event website to register online.

Canadian Society of Forensic Science 58th Conference

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Logo for the Canadian Society of Forensic ScienceCanadian Society of Forensic Science 58th Conference

May 8-11th, 2012

The IRMACS Centre, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

In the Government of Canada’s 2010 budget, there was a commitment to exploring alternative methods of delivering forensic services. A request for proposal entitled “A Feasibility and Sustainability Model for Forensic Services Delivery in Canada” was subsequently posted in the fall of 2010. This contract has since been awarded and the results of the report are expected in the spring of 2012. The theme of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science 2012 conference “Forensics: Public, Private or Partnership”, also seeks to explore the options for forensic service delivery by engaging speakers from various public and private forensic laboratories in the UK, USA and Canada. CSFS members and non-members are invited to register and attend all workshops.

Organizational Committee
Dr. Lynne Bell (Criminology, SFU)
Heather Dinn (RCMP Forensic Laboratory)
Pam Borghardt (IRMACS Centre, SFU)

For more information about the conference and to register, visit the website or contact CSFS2012@csfs.ca.

Help Catch a Rioter

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Rioters smashing windows at Sears in Downtown VancouverThe excerpt below is from a message forwarded to me by the VPD. I agreed to post it on our blog because I know many people in the Lower Mainland were outraged by the Stanley Cup Riot on June 15th and feel helpless about how to bring the perpetrators to justice. Maybe one of our readers can help catch a rioter…

As you are well aware, the Integrated Riot Investigation Team of 60+ police officers, analysts and civilian members have been working hard at holding rioters accountable for their part on June 15th. To date, we have recommended 350 criminal charges against 125 rioters, and there are many more still to come. With a lot of work ahead of us, we are asking for your help in forwarding this information to your family, friends and co-workers.

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Course Schedule for Spring Term and Registration Dates

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Colour dates on individual calendar pagesOn a nice, sunny day like today, it isn’t hard to believe that spring is just around the corner…

I recently uploaded our Spring/Summer term 2012 course schedule to our website, so you can use it to plan your course load for April-August 2012.

Some important dates to remember:

  •     February 10th – Web preview (You can see the Spring 2012 courses online, but can’t register for them yet)
  •     February 12th – Web registration opens (You can start registering online)
  •     February 13th – General registration opens (You can now register by any method)

* Position Filled * Crime Analyst Job Opportunity

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The logo for the West Vancouver Police Department**The position has now been filled**

Job Title: Crime Analyst (Exempt temporary [maternity leave] position)
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Start Date: March 1, 2012 (approximately)
Location: West Vancouver Police Department

Overview: Responsible for the specialized work of researching and disseminating information related to criminal activity to support administrative and operational staff in the planning and deployment of resources.

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