“We really do have a good situation here in Abbotsford,” said professor emeritus Dr. Darryl Plecas, who presented a talk entitled, “What’s Really Going on with Youth Crime in Abbotsford?” Plecas, alongside UFV’s Community Health and Social Innovation Hub (CHASI), partnered up to provide valuable insights into the reality of crime in Abbotsford, which is, according to Plecas, not as severe as is often portrayed. Plecas assured the audience who gathered for the event on Nov. 2, that despite the recent news of Abbotsford’s seemingly high crime levels, the situation in this city has, from an historical standpoint, improved drastically. He referenced Abbotsford’s achievement in no longer being known as the “murder capital” of Canada.
The event was the second of the Exploring Equity Speaker Series: a joint undertaking among the Rotary Club of Abbotsford Sumas, CHASI, and UFV. The guests were treated to cookies and hot drinks, making the atmosphere comfortable, and Plecas infused humour into the evening, making it an enjoyable experience for everyone. He emphasized the significance of Abbotsford’s Restorative Justice program in curbing crime. He also commended the Abbotsford Police Department for adopting a helpful approach towards combating gang violence by implementing their PATHWAYS program. I had the opportunity to interview Plecas, who described his role in the collaborative study as that of an “advisor” and “research methodologist.”
“As is always the case with projects through CHASI, this particular project was very much a team effort,” he said. “All the credit for the project goes to the people within CHASI,” he noted, underlining the hard work they put in. “Students have incredible skills in lots of ways, but they won’t necessarily have all of the knowledge related to the methodology, and they won’t necessarily have the connections to get the data. So that’s where I can be helpful … It’s important to remember, the presentation was prepared by students. I just delivered it. And probably because they felt sorry for me, because I’m an old guy.”
Plecas illuminated me as to how this project idea came about — how CHASI was looking into gangs and youth involvement prevention when they stumbled onto some interesting data that went beyond the scope of their focus, but couldn’t ignore. Before long, they had two projects on their hands. Plecas said that Martha Dow, the director of CHASI, invited him to join the project. He responded, “That sounds like fun. Let’s see how I can help make it all happen.”
On Nov. 14, CHASI was able to showcase their projects to some prominent figures. Their presentations were made to B.C.’s solicitor general, minister Mike Farnworth, and minister of agriculture and food, Pam Alexis. According to Plecas, “Their presentations were nothing short of brilliant.”
“If I had to describe, in a word, my opportunity to work with the students in CHASI, I’d say I’m just plain lucky.”
Jade is an English Honours: Creative Writing student. She plans on pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing after graduating from her undergraduate degree. When she’s not in class or studying, she can be found doing karaoke at a local restaurant in hopes of getting noticed and signed to a record deal.
