In more than a decade of journalism, I have frequently covered crime, policing and public safety issues.
Whether its reporting directly from the scenes of gun murders, exploring the impacts of violence on communities, or investigating in depth missing women cases or police misconduct allegations, my work has been published in This Magazine, Windspeaker, Vancouver Observer — and recognized with awards and nominations from both the Canadian Journalism Foundation and the Canadian Association of Journalists.
Below are some samples from my police portfolio.
Vancouver Police Department’s alleged refusal to issue a criminal record check for a prominent youth leader – because he wouldn’t submit a DNA sample – has forced him to abandon an organization he’s volunteered at for 13 years.
The “Nephew bandit,” who police say conned money and valuables out of gullible seniors by pretending to be a distant relative, will remain in custody.
British Columbia’s marijuana production prominence could have a dramatic impact on the provincial economy if laws regarding the drug are changed, a local criminologist argues.
Vancouver police have opened a new rooftop vegetable garden to help officers reduce stress.
At least 31 people have now been arrested in anti-shale gas fracking protests in New Brunswick, including a journalist who alleges police attempted to pay him to become an informant.
One Lower Mainland police force is trying a cheeky new tactic to discourage bad drivers: embarrassing them online.
Street nurse Bonnie Fournier is remembered as the “mom of the Downtown Eastside.”
The launch of Parliament’s Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women was applauded as a rare show of political consensus, drawing unanimous all-party support on Feb. 27.
Named: RCMP, VPD, City of Vancouver, justice minister, crown prosecutors. Pickton siblings accused of ‘abetting’ murders.
An occupation of the Burns Lake band office in northern B.C. ended dramatically on April 7 when between 30 and 50 RCMP officers stormed the building–some allegedly with firearms drawn–to evict seven protesters holed up inside, including four children, who were demanding the chief’s resignation and an Aboriginal Affairs audit of band finances.
David P Ball 