Gabriel Béliveau - Criminology
Gabriel is a doctoral student in criminology at the Université de Montréal. He is carrying out his research project with the Centre international de criminologie comparée. His passion for policing dates back to CEGEP, when he was a student in the Police Techniques program. Since then, he has been interested in improving police practices. That's why he's so enthusiastic about introducing his mentees to the field of research!
Project: Police and knowledge: new perspectives on the dynamics of police reform
Certain police practices have long been shown to discriminate against a segment of the population, while police organizations have struggled to recognize this problem within the force.
With this in mind, this research project aims to understand the reasons why racial issues (violence, discrimination, profiling) persist so much in the police force, over time, despite the efforts put in place to counter the problem.
First, I will analyze historical documents and archives on the transformation of police practices and the associated problems of discrimination, from the 19e century to the present day.
Secondly, I'll be interviewing some sixty players, including police officers, about racial issues within the police force and ways of countering this problem.
Through these two methods, my ultimate aim is to understand the limits (obstacles) and conversely the best ways of transforming (improving) police practices. My aim is to develop a theory of police change.
During their research project, mentees will have the chance to: 1) learn about the police's ability to adapt to the needs of society; 2) understand racial issues historically rooted in the police; 3) analyze scientific data they have collected; 4) explain resistance to change in police practices.