Outgoing VPD Chief Jim Chu Becomes First Commissioned Police Officer

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VANCOUVER – Retiring Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu has received a new provincial honour in recognition of his decades of distinguished service: the first commission issued to a municipal police officer in B.C.

Chu, who has served with the department for 36 years and led it for the last seven and a half, met the criteria and qualifications set out in the new police officer commissions regulation, which are:

* An exemplary service record.

* 10 or more years of service in B.C.

* At least a baccalaureate or master’s degree or equivalent, or the rank of inspector or higher for at least four years.

* The B.C. director of Police Services, a qualifying supervisor or police board’s recommendation for a commission.

“I’ve known Chief Const. Chu since my time as a prosecutor and he has led the Vancouver Police Department through a period of rapid and dynamic change for policing. His leadership has helped lower rates of violent crime in Vancouver, and his engagement and relationship-building with the Downtown Eastside community and its resident organizations, in light of the Missing Women’s Commission of Inquiry, are just two of his major accomplishments. As he heads into retirement from this position, his receipt of this first commission is a fitting tribute to his legacy and the inspiration his example will continue to provide to police officers in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia, ” said Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton.

The new provincial commission formally recognizes high-calibre, senior members of municipal police departments and designated policing units for their rank, professionalism and dedication to policing in B.C. Officer commissions are a military tradition intended to symbolize that commissioned officers derive their authority directly from the sovereign.