The Vancouver Police Department says its first B.C.-wide sex crimes symposium and women’s personal safety workshops have drawn more than 15,000 attendees.
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The Vancouver Police Department says it is taking part in two initiatives focused on preventing and responding to gender-based violence, including a first province-wide sex crimes symposium and women’s personal safety workshops.
Senior Crime Analyst Ryan Villamin of the Special Investigation Section organized the month’s first B.C.-wide sex crimes symposium at the Roundhouse Community Centre. The VPD says the event has now seen more than 15,000 attendees.
Villamin said sex crimes can be among the most challenging cases in law enforcement, adding that he is “passionate about bringing people together” and hopes the symposium provides a venue for agencies across the province to work together to fight and prevent sex-based violent crime.
The symposium featured presentations on legal challenges, criminal investigative psychology, and specific investigative techniques in sex crimes investigations. The VPD said the goal is to bring law enforcement agencies together across B.C. to exchange knowledge and share investigative techniques, and to encourage networking and inter-agency collaboration.
In describing why cooperation is needed, Villamin said, “Offenders don’t always operate within clearly defined police jurisdictional boundaries. It takes a united effort across multiple agencies to investigate these types of crimes.”
The VPD also said Women’s Personal Safety Team officers are marking a milestone, with more than 15,000 attendees passing through the program since 2012. It said a day-long session last week drew more than 175 people, double the usual number.
In a quote attributed to VPD Insp. Colleen Yee, who leads the program with her sister, VPD Sgt. Alice Yee, she said, “This is the largest venue we’ve had so far,” and that registration opened two months earlier, filling by the third day.
The VPD said the workshops are funded by the Vancouver Police Foundation and teach participants how to recognize potential predators, understand how they select targets, respond to common types of attacks, and report a crime. The program has grown over 14 years from two to more than eight workshops per year, the VPD said.
The VPD said it has also helped develop similar programs in other police agencies in B.C., Saskatchewan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Ukraine and New Zealand, and noted that more information is available on the Yee sisters’ website.
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