WATCH: Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu has announced that he’s retiring after 36 years on the force. John Daly has a look back at his career.
VANCOUVER – After 36 years with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), Chief Jim Chu is retiring.
He has been chief for seven-and-a-half years, since June 21, 2007.
“We have a great city with wonderful people and we have great people in the organization that I’m responsible for leading,” said Chu. “But it is time to retire.”
WATCH: A look back at Chu’s career with the Vancouver Police Department:
Vhu was born in Shanghai, but grew up in East Vancouver.
He first joined the VPD in 1979 and was promoted to corporal in 1989. When he made detective in 1990 he was part of the general investigation and robbery squads, before returning to patrol as a sergeant in 1991.
In 1997, Chu was promoted to inspector and made Deputy Chief in 2003.
Chu, who’s in his mid-50s, will remain in the position until the police board picks a successor, likely by the spring. He said he doesn’t have another job waiting for him and he hasn’t decided what to do next – though he didn’t rule out a run for elected office.
“I didn’t want to be actively looking for the next step while I was serving as police chief,” he said. “Now that I’m leaving, I guess I’ll have to look around a bit more,” she said.
Other related experiences include (from the Vancouver Police Department website):
- former President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
- former chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Law Enforcement Information Management Section
- former co-chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Informatics Committee
- former Board member, Major Cities Chiefs Association
- part-time contract faculty member in the Douglas College Department of Criminology, where he taught introduction to policing and community policing courses
- author of the book, Law Enforcement Information Technology, © CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2001
- author of articles in r journals, such as Police Chief Magazine, Law and Order,Blue Line, and Canadian Police Chief magazine
- former President of the Vancouver Police Officers Mess
- former member of Board of Governors, Justice Institute of B.C.
Chu is married to Vicki and they have four adult children.
– With files from The Canadian Press
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