Peter Ian Collins (born 1953) is a Canadian forensic psychiatrist. He is an authority on violent crime and has worked with criminal justice agencies in Canada and throughout the world, including INTERPOL, the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Australian Federal Police and Europol. He has testified as an expert witness on homicide, sexual homicide, pedophilia, child pornography, child abduction, stalking, sexual assault, paraphilias, the insanity defense, officer involved shootings, malingered mental illness, suicide by cop, police crisis negotiations, extremism, operational stress injury, resilience and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Life and career
Collins obtained his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Western Ontario in 1975 and his Masters degree in applied criminology from the University of Ottawa in 1978. He earned his Medical Degree from McMaster University in 1983. Collins completed his postgraduate medical training in Psychiatry at the University of Toronto in 1989. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Canada) in Psychiatry and has a Royal College of Physicians (Canada) sub specialty in Forensic Psychiatry.
Collins took a position at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, now part of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in 1989. His clinical appointment is with CAMH's Complex Mental Illness Program. In 2004 he was promoted to Associate Professor at University of Toronto in the Division of Forensic Psychiatry - Faculty of Medicine. He also is an Associate Clinical Professor with the Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences at McMaster University. Collins is also a co-investigator with the Health Adaptation Research on Trauma (HART) Lab at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
When the Royal Canadian Mounted Police established their Violent Crimes Analysis Section (later named the Behavioural Analysis Branch), in June 1990, Collins became a consultant, in December 1990, and continued with this position until 2008. As a member of the Behavioural Analysis Branch he was involved in the project that developed the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS) with Inspectors Ron MacKay (retired), Keith Davidson (retired) and Greg Johnson.
Collins became an in-house consultant to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), in 1995, and is currently the Forensic Psychiatrist with the Criminal Behaviour Analysis Unit of the OPP's Behavioural Sciences and Analysis Section. He is also serves as the consultant psychiatrist to "O" Division Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the U.S. Marshal's Service, the Profiling Unit of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Investigative Psychology Unit of the South African Police, the Intelligence and Organized Crime Section of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the Behavioural Sciences Section of the Calgary Police Service. Collins has been a member of the Toronto Police Service Emergency Task Force (ETF) Crisis Negotiation Team since 1992.
In 1997, Collins was elected a member of the International Criminal Investigative Analysis Fellowship. From 2000 to 2012, Collins was a member of the INTERPOL Specialist Group on Crimes against Children. In 2014 he was made a Senior Adviser to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
Collins retired, at the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, from the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserves). He is a veteran of two deployments to Southern Afghanistan. In October 2012 Collins was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contribution to the Canadian Forces.
In his capacity as a forensic psychiatrist with the OPP Collins has been consulted, internationally, on numerous homicide investigations, including serial murder cases, sexual homicides and child abductions. He has also written on suicide by cop. At the request of the Department of Justice, Collins testified before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness – Bill C-2: An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Protection of Children and Other Vulnerable Persons) and the Canada Evidence Act - Ottawa, Ontario, 2 May 2005. He has also been involved in two joint presentations, on the topic of Child Pornography, to Members of Parliament - House of Commons, Ottawa, in June 1999 and April 2002. In April 2006 he presented to the Counter Terrorism Training Working Group – Institute of Intergovernmental Research & U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. on the topic of Source Development and Recruitment.
Collins is on the Board of the Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals and a contributing editor - the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, published by the American Psychological Association.
In the private sector Collins is an expert consultant with Park Dietz & Associates, in Newport Beach, California; Hennes Paynter Communications, in Cleveland, Ohio; Martin & Associates Investigations, in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Investigation Solutions Network, in Pickering, Ontario.
Books
St-Yves, M. & Collins, P. (2012) The psychology of crisis intervention for law enforcement officers. Carswell: Toronto, Ontario. ISBN 978-07798-4955-0
St-Yves, M. & Collins, P. (2011) Psychologie de l'intervention policere en situation de crise. Editions Yvon Blais: Cowansville, Quebec. ISBN 978-2-89635-464-1
Cornish J.L., Murray K.A., Collins P.I. (1999) The criminal lawyers' guide to the law of criminal harassment and stalking. Canada Law Book: Aurora, Ontario. ISBN 978-0-88804-320-7
Book chapters
Eke, A., Chafe, E., Collins, P., Cromer, J. & Brewster, J. (2015) Equivocal Death Analysis. In Collaborative Policing: police, academics, professionals and communities working together for education, training, research and program implementation. Eds P. Kratcski & M. Edelbacher., CRC Press: Boca Rotan, Florida.
Collins, P. & St-Yves, M. (2012) Negotiating with suicidal individuals. In The psychology of crisis intervention for law enforcement officers. Eds. Michel St-Yves & Peter Collins. Carswell: Toronto, Ontario.
Collins, P. & St-Yves, M. (2012) Negotiating with emotionally disturbed individuals. In The psychology of crisis intervention for law enforcement officers. Eds. Michel St-Yves & Peter Collins. Carswell: Toronto, Ontario.
Collins, P. (2012) Dealing with extremist and politically motivated incidents. In The psychology of crisis intervention for law enforcement officers. Eds. Michel St-Yves & Peter Collins. Carswell: Toronto, Ontario.
Pierson, F., Crocq, L. & Collins, P. (2012) Psychological assistance for first responders and victims. The psychology of crisis intervention for law enforcement officers. Eds. Michel St-Yves & Peter Collins. Carswell: Toronto, Ontario.
Collins, P. (2011) Psychologie de l’extremise – Prises d’otages et situations de bearricade a motivation ideologique ou politique. In Psychologie de l'intervention policere en situation de crise. Eds. Michel St-Yve et Peter Collins. Les editions Yvon Blais: Cowansville, Quebec.
Collins, P. & St-Yves, M. (2011) L’intervention policere aupres des personne suicidaires. In Psychologie de l'intervention policere en situation de crise. Eds. Michel St-Yves et Peter Collins. Les editions Yvon Blais: Cowansville, Quebec.
Collins, P. & St-Yves, M. (2011) L’intervention policere aupres des personne mentalement pertrbees. In Psychologie de l'intervention policere en situation de crise. Eds. Michel St-Yves et Peter Collins. Les editions Yvon Blais: Cowansville, Quebec.
Collins, P., Smerick, P. & St-Yves, M. (2009) The Psychology of Criminal Harassment. In The Psychology of Criminal Investigations: the search for the truth. Eds. Michel St-Yves & Michel Tanguay. Carswel: Toronto, Ontario.
Collins, P., Smerick, P. & St-Yves, M. (2007) Psychologie du harcelement criminel. In Psychologie de l’enquete criminelle: la recherche de la verite. Eds. Michel St-Yves & Michel Tanguay. Les editions Yvon Blais: Cowansveille, Quebec.
Collins, Peter I. (2005) Child Sexual Abuse and the Paraphilias. In Medical & Legal Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation: A Comprehensive Review of Child Pornography, Child Prostitution and Internet Crimes. Eds. - Sharon W. Cooper, Richard Angelo P. Giardino, Victor V. Veith and Nancy D. Kellogg. GW Medical Publishing: St. Louis, MO.
Kuch, K. and Collins, P. (2000). Psychological Injury After Motor Vehicle Accidents. In Personal Injury Litigation: Guidance From Health Care Professionals edited by The Honourable Mr. Justice Ted Matlow, Canada Law Book: Aurora, Ontario.
Collins, Peter I. (1998) Preface. Workplace Violence in Healthcare Toolkit: A Guide to Establishing a Prevention and Training Program by Judy L. Jacobs & Wayne D. Porter, McGraw-Hill: Burr Ridge, Illinois.
Articles
Andersen, J., Papazoglou, K., Gustafsberg, H., Collins, P., & Arnetz, B. (in press). Mental preparedness training. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.
Anderson, J., Papazoglou, K., Arnetz, B. & Collins, P. (2015) Mental Preparedness as a Pathway to Police Resilience and Optimal Functioning in the Line of Duty - International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, Vol. 17, No.3, pp. 624-627.
Leenaars, A.A., Park, B.C.B., Collins, P.I., Wenckstern, S. & Leenaars, L. (2010) Martyrs’ Last Letters: Are They the Same as Suicide Notes? – Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 55, No.3, pp 660–668.
Mohandie, K, Meloy, J.R. & Collins, P.I. (2009) Suicide by Cop Among Officer-Involved Shooting Cases – Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp 456–462.
Collins, Peter, Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault – The Challenge of "Date Rape Drugs" Part III. (2003). The Ontario Provincial Police Review, Vol. 38, No.3, pp 13.
Collins, Peter, Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault – The Challenge of "Date Rape Drugs" Part II. (2003) The Ontario Provincial Police Review, Vol. 38, No.2, pp 21.
Collins, Peter, Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault – The Challenge of "Date Rape Drugs" Part I. (2003) The Ontario Provincial Police Review, Vol. 38, No.1, pp 13.
Collins, Peter I., Johnson, Gregory F., Choy, Alberto, Davidson, Keith T., MacKay, Ronald E. (1998). Advances in Violent Crime Analysis and Law Enforcement: The Canadian Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System - ViCLAS - Journal of Government Information - Vol.25, No.3. pp. 277–284.
Collins, Peter (1998). Legal Application of Collateral Material, Canadian Association of Violent Crime Analysts Newsletter - Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 16–19.
Van Allen, James & Collins, Peter. (1998) Stalking, The Ontario Provincial Police Review, Vol. 32, No.2, pp. 16–17
Kuch, Klaus & Collins, Peter. (1997). Psychological Injury after Motor Vehicle Accidents, Advocates Quarterly - A Canadian Journal for Practitioners of Civil Litigation, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 176–187.
Blanchard, Ray & Collins, Peter I. (1993). Men with Sexual Interest in Transvestites, Transsexual and She-Males. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Vol. 181, No. 9, pp. 570–575.
Collins, P.I., Scharf, N., Persad, E. (1989) "What's New in Psychopharmacology" Modern Medicine of Canada Vol. 44, No. 11, pp. 1066–1074.
Manuals
Contributor to A Handbook for Police and Crown Prosecutors on Criminal Harassment - Department of Justice Canada, 2nd Edition, March 2004.
Contributor to Manual for Investigators of Child Sexual Abuse – The Interpol Specialist Group on Crimes Against Children, 2nd Edition, 2003.
Contributor to A Handbook for Police and Crown Prosecutors on Criminal Harassment -Department of Justice Canada, September 1999.
Contributor to Sexual Exploitation of Children – Guidelines for Law Enforcement - Criminal Intelligence Service Canada / Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 1999.
Contributor to The Investigators Guide to Child Pornography Crime - Procedure and Investigative Techniques - Ontario Provincial Police, 1999.
Reports
Collins, Peter, Threat Assessment in Sexual Victimisation of Children – Final Report of the National Working Group in Pursuit of Child-Centred Intervention Strategies, Royal Canadian Mounted Police / Solicitor General Canada / Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, 1999.
