The Vancouver Police Department has a new top cop.
Steve Rai was officially appointed the department’s 32nd chief constable on Thursday, following former chief Adam Palmer’s retirement.
Rai has been serving as interim Chief Constable since Palmer stepped down.
“Chief Rai brings more than three decades of experience with the VPD,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a statement.
“He has worked across nearly every area of the department, starting as a frontline officer in the Downtown Eastside and rising through the ranks to lead major citywide operations, including the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2011 Stanley Cup Riot.”
Sim also pointed to Rai’s work on recruiting and training, wellness and cultural competency and adopting new technology in the department as assets.
Rai holds a bachelor of arts in Asian studies from UBC and a masters of arts in criminal justice from the University of the Fraser Valley. Prior to his career with the VPD he served in the Canadian Forces Reserves.
Rai signed on with the VPD in 1990, working his way up from patrol constable through a variety of assignments, including as an Emergency Response Team crisis negotiator, and was promoted to the rank of Inspector in 2007 when he was tapped as executive officer in the chief constable’s office.
He served in the Training and Recruiting Section as the force staffed up for the 2010 Olympics, and served as the Vancouver Departmental Operations Centre during the games themselves, along with the force’s response to Occupy Vancouver and as North Commander during the 2011 Stanley Cup riot.
Rai was also front and centre in the department’s response to the Lapu Lapu Day vehicle ramming attack, an incident he deemed the “darkest day” in the city’s history.
He was promoted to his last role as Deputy Chief Constable of Support Services Division in 2015, which saw him lead the hiring of the majority of current sworn and civilian members and spearhead the department’s cultural competency and de-escalation training programs.
“Chief Rai has played a key role in shaping how the VPD serves our city today,” Sim added.
“He’s a decorated officer, a trailblazer, and a leader who embodies what it means to serve and protect Vancouverites.”
Rai is the second VPD deputy chief constable to earn a promotion to a top job in policing in recent months.
In April, Deputy Chief Finoa Wilson was tapped to be the next chief constable of the Victoria Police Department, a role she will take on this summer.