Meritorious Service Medal

• Awarded on: April 5, 2016
• Invested on: November 25, 2016

In 1997, seven Vancouver Police officers patrolling the city’s Downtown Eastside decided to film their daily encounters with drug addicts. Over the course of two years, they chronicled the gut-wrenching effects of substance abuse on addicts who were willing participants in their first film Through the Blue Lens. As Odd Squad Productions, the group has gone on to create a series of award-winning films on the subjects of guns, gangs, drugs and crime. Their goal is to open a window onto the harsh reality of criminal behaviour to empower at-risk youth to make better choices.