Category Archives: School of Criminal Justice & Security

Be the one keeping communities safe

October 12, 2018 – 10:20 am

Sebastien Therrien’s pursuit of a career in policing led him to JIBC. Thanks to his JIBC degree, he’s now enrolled in graduate studies to further his education. (Story by Wanda Chow / Photo by Jimmy Jeong)

Sebastien Therrien’s pursuit of a career in policing led him to the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) and now his JIBC degree is helping him expand his career opportunities as he pursues a graduate degree.

Growing up in Quebec, Sebastien, now 27, always wanted to be a police officer, a career where he could make a difference while working directly with the public.

That determination was strengthened after he graduated high school and joined the Canadian Forces Army Reserves, while completing a diploma in Police Foundations at La Cité Collégiale in Ottawa. It was at La Cité where he learned of a new agreement between that school and JIBC, where he could apply his education towards completion of JIBC’s Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies (BLES) degree.

Sebastien says his JIBC education helped open his mind on many subjects, particularly the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada, how they were treated and how that continues to impact that community today.

“In high school I cannot remember learning about that and it’s so important to learn about it. That’s what struck me, like wow, I’m 25, 26 years old and I’m just learning about this?”

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Tags Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies, BLES, BLES1, How to become a police officer, law enforcement, police officer, policing | Permalink | Comment (0)

Centre for Graduate Studies & Academic Planning Justice & Public Safety Division Justice Institute of British Columbia Office of Applied Research & Graduate Studies School of Criminal Justice & Security

Be the one gathering intelligence

October 9, 2018 – 12:22 pm

Casey Solis is an investigations manager at Canada’s largest risk mitigation and investigation firm. Thanks to her JIBC education in intelligence analysis, she assists clients in a wide range of areas, from mergers and acquisitions to threat risk assessments. (Story by Wanda Chow / Photo by Jimmy Jeong)

The uncovering of fraud, the safety of a community, the fate of billion-dollar corporate deals, protecting intangible assets, ensuring operational continuity, and reducing risk and minimizing loss. They can all depend on the work done by the growing number of intelligence and research analysts like Casey Solis.

Casey completed Justice Institute of British Columbia’s (JIBC) Graduate Certificate in Tactical Criminal Analysis a few years ago and is now an Investigations Manager at Xpera Risk Mitigation & Investigation, Canada’s largest such firm.

She specializes in due diligence and special projects in areas such as mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property issues, threat risk assessments, protest monitoring and insurance or liability claims. Clients range from private corporations and government agencies, to insurance companies, and clients in the telecommunications and energy sector.

“Every day is different and challenging, from formulating investigation plans and exploring new social media platforms or technology to actively engaging in covert investigations. Each file is unique, and treated as such,” she said. “And because no two situations are the same, I am actively using the skills I acquired at JIBC to assess situations, solve problems, and identify solutions. It is addicting.”

Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies Justice & Public Safety Division Justice Institute of British Columbia Law Enforcement Studies Diploma

JIBC experience life-changing for law enforcement degree grad

June 6, 2018 – 10:09 am

Ramandeep Randhawa says his JIBC Law Enforcement Studies instructors went “above and beyond” in helping him achieve his career goals. (Story and photo by Wanda Chow)

Like many kids, Ramandeep Randhawa grew up wanting to be a police officer.

For much of his life, though, he was also overweight.

That has changed for the better, he says, with much thanks to his instructors at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC).

As a teenager, Ramandeep attended a youth cadet program and the New Westminster Police Department Student Police Academy which helped him confirm he wanted to work in law enforcement. He set about working towards his goal by spending two years studying criminology at a local university.

Then he learned about JIBC’s Law Enforcement Studies Diploma (LESD) program, and how it is specifically geared towards those interested in policing and other law enforcement careers.

When he started the LESD program over four years ago, he weighed 325 pounds. By the time he graduated with a Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies (BLES) four years later, he had lost 125 pounds.

His instructors put him on a simple diet plan and workout routine and kept him accountable.

“They went above and beyond,” Ramandeep said. “They actually care and want to see you be successful.”

Tags Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies, BLES, BLES1, conflict resolution, How to become a police officer, law enforcement, Law Enforcement Studies Diploma, LESD, policing | Permalink | Comment (0)

Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies Justice & Public Safety Division School of Criminal Justice & Security

JIBC law enforcement degree opens doors for recent grad

August 14, 2017 – 3:35 pm

JIBC’s Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies program helps recent-graduate Louise Lathey combine her passion for helping animals with her desire to make a difference in her community. (Story by Wanda Chow)

Louise Lathey always knew she wanted to make a difference. She always figured she would accomplish that through a front-line role in policing or paramedicine.

In preparation for that, she completed several programs at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC), from the Emergency Medical Responder Certificate, and Bylaw Compliance, Enforcement and Investigative Skills course, to the Investigation & Enforcement Skills Certificate and Law Enforcement Studies Diploma (LESD).

Louise had applied for a policing job after her first year of LESD, but was told to reapply after gaining more experience in a related role. It was while searching for such a role that she tapped into her longtime love of animals. She landed a job at the BC SPCA as an on-call night emergency officer.

“This job was intense and incredibly rewarding. I responded to calls of sick or injured domestic and wild animals, and had to rescue and transport these animals to vet clinics, wildlife facilities or wherever else they needed to go. Thanks to this position I learned that skunks love peanut butter and raccoons are not as cute as they look.”

She began to explore the field of animal law. She transitioned into the BC SPCA’s cruelty investigations department, became a Special Provincial Constable doing cruelty investigations, worked in the Vancouver SPCA animal shelter as an animal care attendant, and had a chance to work in shelter management.

“At this point I think I had taken a break from school as I was sort of re-evaluating my career path. This is when I started realizing that the law enforcement world was bigger than just policing.”

Louise returned to JIBC to finish the LESD program and continued her studies to complete the Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies (BLES). read more »

Tags animal rescue, Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies, BLES, BLES1, LESD1, puppy mill seizure, SPCA, special provincial constable | Permalink | Comments Off

Law Enforcement Studies Diploma Police Academy

Officer aims to draw on own experience to be role model and help others

July 10, 2017 – 3:45 pm

Just as she was once made to feel safe by police officers in her time of need, Const. Shauntelle Nichols wants to help others the same way. A graduate of JIBC’s Law Enforcement Studies Diploma program she is now an officer with the Saanich Police Department. (Story and photo by Wanda Chow)

When Shauntelle Nichols needed help, the police were there for her. Today she’s a police officer herself, ready to be there for others in need.

For the last several years, Shauntelle has drawn on her experience of officers helping make her feel safe to motivate and inspire her in her studies and efforts to be hired by a local police department.

“Because really, that’s what policing is. You’re at your worst day, somebody’s coming to help you. That’s what’s inspiring to me. I want to be that person [to make others feel safe]. And I see a lot of women, Aboriginal women, Aboriginal youth, in stressful and horrible relationships. They don’t know how to get out and sometimes all it takes is somebody listening, being supportive and being strong for you and guiding you in the right direction.”

It wasn’t long before her personal experience pointed her in the direction of the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) where she applied to the Law Enforcement Studies Diploma (LESD) program.

“I remember the day I got my acceptance letter I cried my eyes out because I was so happy to be going to this program. It’s the top public safety institution in BC. It’s well known and I knew that if I got in here and I worked as hard as I could it would give me a strong, strong reference to apply to police departments.”

Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies Justice Institute of British Columbia Law Enforcement Studies Diploma School of Criminal Justice & Security

JIBC Law Enforcement Studies students launch #ThisWomanMyHero challenge

March 8, 2017 – 8:04 am

Every day all around the world, women and women-identified people act bravely, face danger, put others’ needs before their own, create life-saving innovations, and bring about remarkable and meaningful change. International Women’s Day is our opportunity to raise awareness, honour and celebrate these women who we look up to as the heroes in our lives.

Our JIBC Law Enforcement Studies students have launched a month-long social media challenge to encourage people of all ages and genders to recognize and acknowledge the women leaders, first responders, caregivers, elders, visionaries, artists, mothers, activists, friends and social justice champions who have influenced their lives. read more »

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Justice Institute of British Columbia Law Enforcement Studies Diploma

LESD grad aims to draw on refugee experience

February 9, 2017 – 3:36 pm

Mansoor Sahak becomes a police officer to give back to Canada for taking in his family as refugees. (Story by Wanda Chow / Photo by Richard Chu)

Mansoor Sahak knew he wanted to be a police officer ever since volunteering at a community policing station and attending the New Westminster Police Department’s Student Police Academy.

He always figured it was because policing is exciting and different from most careers. But eventually, he uncovered a deeper reason. It’s because he feels privileged to live in Canada.

He was too young to remember much of it, but his parents have told him stories. Of how his family fled Afghanistan when the Taliban took power and the war started. How they left almost everything behind. How they escaped to Pakistan where his family of seven shared a home with three other families, all relatives.

“My parents always talk about it. They always wanted to go back to Afghanistan, to go back home. It was the home we grew up in but it was destroyed, there was nothing left of it.”

Mansoor, 22, does remember how, at age nine, he and his family came to Canada as refugees, knowing no English, having to rebuild their lives again. But always his parents would talk about the destruction taking place in their native country, and what continues to be lost.

“You realize that was you at one point, that could have been you,” he said. “But you made it, it’s literally a lottery ticket for my family to come out here.”

He hopes one day to become a police officer to give back to the country that took in his family. To help him to that end, he completed a Law Enforcement Studies Diploma at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC). read more »

Tags How to become a police officer, law enforcement, Law Enforcement Studies Diploma, LESD, LESD1, police officer, policing | Permalink | Comments Off

Graduate Certificate in Intelligence Analysis Justice & Public Safety Division

Intelligence Matters

January 18, 2017 – 4:36 pm

In the age of big data, the growing field of intelligence analysis can help businesses discover trends to protect themselves and boost organizational efficiency (Story by Evan Duggan, originally published in the 2017 Right Course Magazine published by BIV Media Group)

When Jennifer Johnstone first started out in the 1990s as an intelligence analysis for the Canadian Border Services Agency, the biggest challenge of the job was gathering enough data to build a sound investigation. “That’s on the case anymore,” says Johnstone, principal of JJ Analytics and Consulting and an instructor for the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) intelligence analysis program.

“When I first started, the challenge was finding enough data,” says Johnstone. “You would have a task or a problem to solve, and the real challenge was collecting the information to solve that problem. Now we have so much data it’s overwhelming.”

An estimated 2.5 billion gigabytes of data is generated around the world each day by search engines, social media sites, e-commerce companies and a plethora of other generators. A lot of that data remains available online and could be very harmful if grasped by the wrong hands.

While harnessing and understanding data is an important part of solving crimes and busting fraud schemes that steal identities and drain bank accounts, it’s also useful for organizations proactively looking to gain insights to mitigate risks in their business.

To these ends, the JIBC provides two graduate certificate programs that teach analysts how to sift through billions of bytes of data and convert it into valuable reports that not only help crime busters, but also boost organizational efficiency. read more »

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