Bio:

Steve Rai is the Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) at Vancouver Police Department. DCC Rai has been a member of the Vancouver Police Department since 1990.

Deputy Rai started his career by garnering extensive operational experience, including eight years as a patrol constable in District Three, where his patrol duties encompassed field training and mentoring new police officers. He also drew on his cultural background to work extensively, at the street level, with the District’s Indo-Canadian community.

Deputy Rai completed assignments in the Vancouver Police Jail, as a Recruiting Unit Investigator, and a secondment to the former Coordinated Law Enforcement Unit.
He completed a second operational tour in District One, including managing the Davie Street Community Policing Office, where he collaborated with local community leaders, business owners and volunteers to address neighbourhood crime and order issues.

In addition to his regular duties, Deputy Rai completed a number of concurrent assignments, including 10 years as an Emergency Response Team Hostage Negotiator, six years with the VPD’s Critical Incident Stress Team, and three years with the Forensic Interview Team utilizing his Punjabi second language skills.

Deputy Rai was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2003 and returned to District Three as an operational supervisor.

In 2004, he was transferred to the position of Sergeant-in-charge of the Vancouver Police Department’s Recruiting Unit. Upon the completion of his tenure in the Recruiting Unit, Deputy Rai was re-deployed as an operational Sergeant in charge of a District Two patrol team. He was promoted to the position of Inspector in the Human Resources Section following this assignment. He returned to District Three in February 2012.

Deputy Rai became Superintendent, Personnel Services, in July 2014, in charge of the Human Resources Section, Recruiting and Training Section, and the Professional Standards Section. In July 2015, he was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable of Support Services.

Deputy Rai is a Board member and Director-at-Large of the Vancouver Police Historical Society and Centennial Museum, and former committee member of the Aboriginal Employment Police Initiative.

In 2006, he was the only Canadian police applicant to be selected for the US State Department’s International Leadership Development Program, which brought together police leaders from across the world. Deputy Rai is the recipient of a Chief Constable’s Commendation for “courage and professionalism,” and two Chief Constable Unit Citations.

In 2013, he was the recipient of the Khalsa Diwan Society Exemplary Community Service Award.