By Canadian Press

Steve Rai appointed Vancouver’s new police chief after filling job in interim role

May 22, 2025 | 5:40 PM

VANCOUVER — Vancouver has a new police chief, with the appointment of Steve Rai to the role he has already been filling on an interim basis.

Mayor Ken Sim says Rai brings more than three decades of experience with the Vancouver Police Department, including stints in nearly every area of the force.

He says Rai started as a frontline officer in the Downtown Eastside, then rose through the ranks to lead police operations including the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2011 Stanley Cup Riot.

He has recently received a national profile fronting briefings about the Lapu Lapu festival tragedy that claimed 11 lives in Vancouver last month.

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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Sim says Rai is a “respected bridge builder who has championed reconciliation within the VPD.”

“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 in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025.

The Canadian Press