Is There Such a Thing as an Expert Criminal? | Sip Smarter Vancouver

They say practice makes perfect. Does that apply to crime? A talk from a criminologist who’s interviewed hundreds of offenders.
About this Event

Do offenders actually get better at crime, or do we just remember the ones who did?

Popular culture is built on the idea of the criminal mastermind — the meticulous planner who stays ten steps ahead. But criminal expertise is a real research question, and the answer is more interesting than the myth. Crime, like any activity, involves decisions: choosing a target, managing risk, weighing what could go wrong. Some offenders make those decisions carelessly. Others develop something that looks unsettlingly like skill.

This talk draws on hundreds of face-to-face interviews with convicted offenders — how they went about their crimes, why they committed them, and the precautions they took, or failed to take, to avoid getting caught. What emerges is a picture of how experience actually changes offenders: what they learn, what they never learn, and why even the “experts” so often end up caught.

Dr. Eric Beauregard is a Professor of Criminology at Simon Fraser University. Before entering academia, he worked in the corrections system, and his research has been shaped by direct interviews with hundreds of offenders. His work examines offender decision-making — what actually separates experienced criminals from first-timers.

Agenda

6:30 PM doors open. Guests are welcome to arrive early, order drinks, meet other attendees, and grab the best seats before the talk begins.

7:00 PM talk begins, followed by trivia and open Q&A.

8:15 PM wrap up — drinks, conversation, and a chance to chat 1:1 with the speaker. Guests are welcome to order another round.