Cst. David Steverding
Street Policing, Youth Education
Areas of Expertise and Strengths
- foot patrol (beat policing) and effects of drug abuse and mental illness
- public speaking and teaching expertise
- martial arts and street violence (Police Judo)
- physical arrests (hundreds!); practical use-of-force research
- drug prevention teaching and still photography work on street life
Bio
David started with the Odd Squad as a volunteer in 2002 working on The Speeder’s Club series of public service announcements securing equipment and funding for the project. This led to a career change in 2004 when David joined the Vancouver Police Department. He transferred over to the Beat Enforcement Team in 2006, bought a camera and went to work capturing images of drug addiction and mental illness in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver.
David started sharing his experience with the addiction giving drug education presentations to youth in the summer of 2006 and continues to this day. By using his own images, he continues to deliver strong anti-drug and pro-social messages to youth. In 2010, David started Odd Squad’s Peer2Peer program. This program focusses on smaller groups and allows youth to learn the ugly realities of drug use and addiction by walking the streets and lanes of the Downtown Eastside and speaking to people who are suffering from addiction. The program is now in its 6th year.
For the past 10 years, Dave has done extensive educational work in Northern Alberta, BC and the NWT. In 2018, Dave co-directed a series of educational videos on the powerful and deadly opioid fentanyl (Understanding Fentanyl) for Odd Squad Productions.