Police Chief Reflects on Year of Crisis and Mental Health Fears

Steve Rai was off duty walking his dog when he got the call. An SUV had plowed into the Filipino street festival on Fraser Street. By the time he reached the scene, 11 people were dead and dozens injured. It was his first night as acting chief of the Vancouver Police Department.

"It was surreal," Rai recalled. "This is a bad nightmare. This can't be happening."

One year later, Rai is now the VPD's 32nd chief constable. He's led the department through a deadly vehicle-ramming attack, ongoing street crime complaints, and mounting pressure on Vancouver's mental health crisis. Yet his biggest fear isn't organized crime or terrorism—it's the one-off incident nobody saw coming.

"If you're an organized criminal, we'll be aware," Rai said. "It's the unpredictable incident where it's not predictable that worries me."

That worry hit close to home last week when a driver rammed vehicles in the West End, struck an elderly person on a motorized scooter, and injured two officers. Mental illness and drugs were believed to be factors.

Rai says the VPD has strong partnerships with health-care providers and council support—something his predecessor lacked. But solving the crisis requires "holistic leadership" from senior governments, and the police can't do that alone. The frustration is real: the B.C. NDP promised expanded involuntary care beds for people in crisis, but Rai says "we're not getting a clear answer on what's the hold up."

As Vancouver braces for the World Cup this summer, Rai's message is clear: public safety needs investment in mental health services, not just more police.