Steve Rai named new Vancouver police chief after filling job in interim role

The Vancouver Police Board has appointed interim police chief Steve Rai to be the Vancouver Police Department's new chief constable.

Rai has more than three decades of experience with the Vancouver Police Department, the city said in a statement, having worked through the ranks to lead major operations, including the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2011 Stanley Cup riot. 

Mayor Ken Sim said Rai was chosen to be new police chief following a thorough selection process.

"With Chief Rai at the helm, Vancouver is in strong hands as we work to build a safer, more connected, and more resilient city," Sim said.

Rai had recently received a national profile fronting briefings about the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy that claimed 11 lives in Vancouver last month.

He said Thursday that one of the challenges is that the police department is "very young." 

"You saw what happened at the Lapu-Lapu tragedy," Rai said. "The first officers on scene were 25 years old, and so we're going to support them, [and] make sure they grow as leaders into the organization." 

Coun. Pete Fry said he thinks Rai is "eminently qualified," but he had questions about the selection process and its lack of transparency.

The city hired an executive search firm to recruit the new chief, and police board chair Frank Chong said the talent pool for senior, qualified police officers is "actually very small in terms of the tier one talent" in Canada. 

"So it was a very, very difficult task, but overall, we had a very good short list," he said. 

Chong said there were fewer than 10 people shortlisted for the position, and said the "vision for the future of policing is clear: a police service that is accountable, equitable, transparent and trusted by all members of the community." 

"We sought a leader who could bring the vision to life, someone whose leadership is grounded in respect, informed by data, compassion, and dedicated to advancing safety, justice and the well-being of all communities," he said.

"The board remains committed to supporting Chief Rai as he assumes his new role."

The mayor called Rai —  who was born in India's Punjab region, and grew up in Vancouver — "a powerful reflection of our city that's diverse, driven and rooted in service."

Rai's appointment as the department's 32nd chief constable comes after former chief Adam Palmer stepped down from the position he had held for 10 years.