Steve Rai, a 35-year veteran of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), stepped into the role of acting chief on a Saturday morning in April 2025, never expecting the horrifying events that would unfold within his first 24 hours. Now, one year after officially becoming the department's 32nd chief constable, Rai reflects on a year marked by tragedy and ongoing challenges.
A Deadly Introduction
On the evening of his first day as acting chief, Rai was off duty walking his dog when a deputy chief called with shocking news: an SUV had plowed into the crowd at the Lapu Lapu Filipino street festival in east Vancouver. As Rai rushed to the scene on Fraser Street, updates kept coming. The death toll rose to 11, with dozens more seriously injured. Victims ranged from five to 65 years old.
“It was surreal,” Rai recalled. “I thought to myself, ‘This is a bad nightmare. This can’t be happening.’”
That night, Rai held his first news conference as acting chief, hastily organized on the street in front of reporters. The following day, after no sleep, he faced another press conference at city hall.
The Suspect and Mental Health
A Vancouver man, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, was arrested and faces 11 counts of murder and 31 counts of attempted murder. Lo had a long history of mental health problems, but a provincial court judge ruled last September that he was mentally fit to stand trial.
Biggest Fear: Mental Health Violence
While Vancouver grapples with street crime and terrorism concerns—especially with upcoming major events like the World Cup—Rai says his biggest fear is unpredictable violence linked to mental illness.
“If you’re an organized criminal, we’ll be aware. If you’re an organized terrorist entity, we’re going to have some awareness, because all the agencies are monitoring and working together,” Rai explained. “It’s the one-offs that you worry about. My fear is that incident where it’s not predictable.”
Rai emphasizes that the city’s mental health crisis cannot be solved by police alone. He advocates for a collaborative approach involving healthcare and social services.
A Year of Reflection
Just hours before a recent interview, Rai received a call about another vehicle-ramming incident in downtown Vancouver. The incident immediately brought back memories of the Lapu Lapu Day attack. “It’s always in the back of my mind,” he said.
As Rai marks his first year as chief, he continues to navigate the complex landscape of urban policing, where mental health issues pose a greater threat than organized crime or terrorism.
