Tuesday, February 13. 2018

Today's schedule is C-D-A-B

C Block Criminology 12 - Today we will be in the library working on our second journal / blog entry. I would like you to tell me what you think about crime trends here in Canada / B.C. Specifically, I want you to tell me what you think about drug related crime. Violent and property crime patterns are generally decreasing however the one area that is on the rise is drug possession, trafficking, importing, and exporting (specifically possession of marijuana - up 4% since 2002 - and cocaine - up 19% since 2002 see Stats Can CSI here).

In addition to this Stats Can states, "British Columbia has consistently had a relatively high rate of police-reported drug offences. Regardless of the type of drug or the type of offence, the rates of drug crime in British Columbia have been among the highest in Canada for 30 years. In 2007, the total drug crime rate in this province (654 incidents per 100,000 population) was more than double the rate in Saskatchewan, the next highest province. In accordance with the province as a whole, relatively high rates of drug offences are found in the census metropolitan areas (CMA) of Vancouver, Victoria and Abbotsford. Along with Trois-Rivières and Gatineau, these cities have reported the highest rates in Canada for the past five years. The rates in Vancouver and Victoria have been among the highest in the country since 1991".

So....Today you will need to write your thoughts on the following: Why has British Columbia consistently had high rates of police reported drug offences? Use what you've learned about crime theories and your own thoughts on crime theories to answer why. Once you've done this, then find an article about a recent drug crime here in B.C., make a link to the news article on your blogsite and then write how crime theories explain the crime (Look at this news about a 35 kilogram cocaine bust off in the Kootenays or this news about six people arrested in Saanich for 26 litres of GHB gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid a date-rape drug, 100 grams of crystal meth, four ounces of heroin, 16 grams of marijuana and $20,000 cash). Don't forget excellent crime news websites are the CANOE CNews Crime site...or the Toronto Star Crime site...or  Global News Crime site...or the Huffington Post Canada Crime ...or the Vancouver Sun Crime Blog

D Block Human Geography 11 - Today we'll look at the Key Question: Where Is the World’s Population Distributed? Human beings are not distributed uniformly across Earth’s surface. We can understand how population is distributed by examining two basic properties - concentration and density. Today we'll examine where populations are concentrated looking at the concept of ecumene. Lastly we'll look at density in terms of arithmetic, physiological and agricultural forms. You've got three questions to answer for me today:

1.  Why isn’t North America one of the four major population clusters?
2. On the map in the week 3 package...use the maps on page 47 to prepare a sketch map that shows non-ecumene and very sparsely inhabited lands (remember map basics!)
3. . In terms of food supply, which measure of density is most important when considering whether a country’s population is too large? Why?

A Block Law 12 - Today we'll finish sections 7 - 14 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (legal rights section). I'll have you work on the following questions: page 54 q 1-3; page 56 q 1 &  2.

B Block Introduction to Law 10 - Today we'll finish up work on our "Typical Victim" of Assault. Don't forget to look through the crime statistics in the course booklet on page 4 that I handed out today for help. Who will most likely be assaulted and why? Now you are taking information and enhancing stereotypes for the people you are drawing. The stereotypes you're basing your drawings on are an example of profiling. Later this week we'll take a deeper look at criminal profiling starting with a look at what psychopathy really is along with the differences between serial and mass murder. The poster is due on Thursday and next Monday you'll have a quiz then begin your first major assignment in the course.