From periphery to focal point: Taking community direction to challenge assumptions

published on April 7, 2026 in Simon Fraser University

The idea for a Downtown Eastside police accountability initiative flowed from the memberships of VANDU and the Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society (WAHRS) to the academy. In other words – it came from the community to the university, rather than from the university and imposed on a community.

There are so many people who urgently deserve justice, who deserve answers, who deserved better in life, and whose families and surviving loved ones are leading the work toward all these things. P.O.W.E.R. is one group among many challenging the machinery of violence, harm and killings by law enforcement. Likewise, P.O.W.E.R. learns from and incorporates safety and harm reduction strategies from other groups and communities who challenge over-policing.…