The School of Criminology hosts symposium to combat gun and gang violence in Burnaby

Simon Fraser University’s School of Criminology in partnership with the City of Burnaby hosted the Gun and Gang Violence in Burnaby Symposium on Friday, March 1st, 20024. Held at SFU’s Halpern Centre, the symposium brought together local and international experts to share knowledge and insights on gun and gang violence prevention.

With over 140 attendees in-person and online, the event marked the first phase of a large-scale, multi-year three-part research funded by the Building Safer Communities Fund, and led by SFU Criminology faculty members. The event featured a series of informative presentations and provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to connect and create valuable networks.

Sergeant Shane Parsons from the Burnaby Gang Enforcement Team (BGET), opened the symposium with an overview of the gang landscape in Burnaby, including information on the evolution of organized crime, street gangs and the implementation of gang enforcement initiatives.

Sergeant Sandy Avelar and Detective Anisha Myette, co-founders of a leadership development program for women called “Her Time”, provided an overview of the growing involvement of young women in gangs and organized crime. They also invited a person with lived experience to share her powerful story.

Other notable speakers included SFU psychology professor and creator of the Connect program Marlene Moretti, and Leena Augimeri, creator and co-founder of the Stop Now And Plan (SNAP) program. They shared some research on evidence-based trauma intervention and highlighted the importance of early intervention and prevention in helping children develop healthy social and emotional skills.

Meanwhile, criminology assistant professor Shannon Linning and Lieutenant Colonel Michael John from the Cincinnati Ohio Police described the unique street dynamics of gun violence at the individual and gang level, outlining a framework to identify and analyze gun violence problems that can potentially help agencies develop strategies to reduce gun violence.

For the final round of presentations of the day, SFU criminology professor and School director Martin Bouchard explained how network analysis can be used to plan interventions. Sociology professor David Pyrooz from the University of Colorado Boulder shared the results of a recent evaluation of a gang intervention in Denver.

The symposium provided a valuable platform for experts to share their knowledge and experience and highlighted the need for continued collaboration between law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and academics to combat and prevent gun and gang violence.

SFU’s School of Criminology extends its gratitude to the City of Burnaby for their support and all the speakers for their valuable contributions. Special thanks to assistant professor Shannon Linning, and assistant professor Zachary Rowan for leading the organization of the event, and to graduate students Isabelle Callahan, Kaitlin Henley, Kristina Kocsis, Tyler Mierzwa, Noah Norton, and Courtney Robertson for all their support.