Written by third-year Justice Studies students, Tala Taha and Ashon Vaz
What does it take to profile and categorize a crime scene?
The University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) welcomed forensic psychiatrist and criminal behavioural profiler Dr. Peter Collins to deliver a guest lecture during the fall semester. Dr. Collins served as the operational forensic psychiatrist with the OPP for 30 years and was part of the RCMP’s first criminal profiling unit that developed the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS). As an authority on violent crime and behavioural analysis, he’s consulted for the FBI, Interpol, and Europol, and continues to teach and practice forensic psychiatry.
Third-year Justice Studies students, Tala Taha and Ashon Vaz attended his guest lecture, where they learned a great deal on the topic.
First impressions
Tala Taha: Attending Dr. Peter Collins’ guest lecture was one of the most engaging and interesting guest speaker events I’ve had so far in my studies at the University of Guelph-Humber. From his humour, passion, and deep expertise in forensic psychiatry, he drew everyone in. The attendees in the lecture hall were so interested in his insights that he barely got through all his slides. Questions and discussions kept flowing, proving how curious we all were about his work in criminal behaviour.
Ashon Vaz: The crowd exceeded three lecture rooms, with a Q&A so riveting that the final slides could not be covered in the time we had! The attendees were enthralled with his presentation and took away plenty of relevant information regarding the modern-day operations of the criminal justice field.
The experience
Tala Taha: Dr. Collins broke down the psychological and behavioural analysis of offenders – why people commit crimes, what motivates them, and how behavioural patterns or psychological triggers can be the reason for criminal actions. Learning about Criminal Behaviour Analysis Section (CBAS) and the Threat and Behavioural Analysis Team offered us a look into how professionals assess threats and prevent violence before it happens. I found it particularly interesting how the ultimate goal of his job is proactive harm prevention, focusing on identifying and managing risks before they escalate rather than reacting after damage has been done. This concept really gave me an understanding that challenges the typical way we think about justice and enforcement, pushing for early intervention rather than punishment after the fact has always been something I've believed in.
Ashon Vaz: It was especially interesting to learn about how different personality types and behavioural traits can be classified to assess risk and danger levels of a person. An example was provided when we were taught how stalkers with more violent criminal records and a history of substance abuse are more likely to physically harm their object of pursuit, and how over one-third of cases involve some form of suicidal ideation from the accused. Further topics covered also include the importance of AI and technology in the field, and how, regardless of these advancements, the most integral part of the process is to meet with an accused person face-to-face. Without this physical component, only opinions, not assessments, can be accurately produced. This shows the importance of how technology, while it can be misguiding, is a tool that comes second to human interaction.
What stuck out to me the most was how the approach to behavioural analysis is proactive and focuses on using the data to provide aid to these individuals to prevent these instances from repeating.
Lasting impacts and inspiration
Tala Taha: As someone who aspires to become a criminal defence lawyer, this experience especially resonated with me. A particular reason why I am so passionate about criminal defence law is my belief that every person deserves an understanding of their psychology and behavioural background. This is especially beneficial in the legal field when evaluating whether an accused person truly had mens rea (a guilty mind) when committing a crime.
What inspired me most was Dr.Collins’ approach to justice. Criminal behaviour is often caused by complex psychological or environmental factors that deserve to be understood. His talk reminded me that defending clients is about understanding the person behind the crime, rather than just arguing about the law. Moving forward, I want to carry this mindset with me for the future when I step into the legal field.
Ashon Vaz: Learning about these statistics and behavioural patterns can help one identify common trends of mental ailments among those who society deems as “dangerous,” which is used by mental health organizations to identify what resources and areas of aid provided to the community need more improvement. His words on how “we interview in Canada, not interrogate” help to emphasize that the approach taken in this country is different from what may be seen on TV or the media, which speaks to the importance of providing long-term solutions and treatment to the aggravating factors behind criminal behaviour.
As I wish to become a lawyer in the future, being able to understand a person’s behaviour and mannerisms is integral to building a strong case that promotes restorative approaches instead of solely focusing on retributive justice. Dr. Peter Collin’s presentation provided an in-depth approach to the inner workings of the criminal mind and why the push for restorative justice remains an integral part of Canadian justice.
Written by third-year Justice Studies students, Tala Taha and Ashon Vaz.
