Mayor Sam Sullivan today welcomed incoming Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Chief Constable Jim Chu to City Council chambers. As Chair of the Police Board, Mayor Sullivan announced Deputy Chief Chu’s appointment at VPD headquarters last week.
“On behalf of all Councillors, I want to congratulate Deputy Chief Chu on his new appointment,” said Mayor Sullivan. “The next five years will be the most important in our city’s history. With the appointment of a new Chief, we are marking a new era in policing for Vancouver.”
Prior to the Council meeting, Mayor Sullivan and the incoming Chief met to discuss next steps and the development of a new strategic plan for the VPD.
Mayor Sullivan also recognized the contribution of outgoing VPD Chief Constable Jamie Graham. Recent VPD Compstat figures suggest crime in Vancouver is down under Chief Graham’s leadership:
- total violent crime is down 11% this year (June 2007) to date over last (2006)
- total property crime is down 12% this year to date over last
Other 2007 Vancouver trends this year to date over last include:
- vehicle theft is down 21%
- sexual assaults are down 21%
- robberies are down 17%
- commercial break & enters are down 14%
- theft from automobiles is down 14%
- incidents of mischief are down 12%
- home invasions are down 12%
“We are very proud of our decision. I look forward to working with the new Chief and the entire VPD to strengthen the connection between the City Council, the police and the residents we serve,” concluded Mayor Sullivan. The incoming Chief will meet with Project Civil City Commissioner Geoff Plant in the coming weeks.
