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.
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."
His 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.
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