City Council · Vancouver 2026

Arezo Zarrabian

  • Not elected, City CouncilPreliminary count, City of Vancouver. All results

ABC Vancouver candidate for city council, ballot number 126.

Arezo Zarrabian, ballot number 126 for City Council in Vancouver, ABC Vancouver. Profile focus: Public-safety evidence and business concerns.

Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page

ABC Vancouver2026
Arezo Zarrabian, from ABC Vancouver.
Arezo ZarrabianCity CouncilBallot no.126

This record covers Arezo Zarrabian's career at the Vancouver Police Department as described by the ABC campaign and by news reports, the 2022 council run for the NPA and its result, and the positions published for the 2026 campaign.

How complete is the published plan?

The score counts how complete and checkable the published plan on this issue is. Whether the plan would work is a separate question, left to the reader. Measured September 25, 2026. The same seven points apply to every candidate for this office.

  1. Housing supply and rental rules1/10
    • 1/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      Party platform; candidate not quoted. ABC Vancouver publishes 1 commitment on this issue.

    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      No dated public action on this issue found.

    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    ABC Vancouver’s platform on housing: 1 commitment, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.

    What this office controls. Council sets zoning, approves rezonings and development permits, and makes rental and tenant-protection bylaws under the Vancouver Charter. The province sets rent increase limits and tenancy law.

    Every City Council candidate on housing, scored the same way

  2. Homelessness and the drug crisis2/10
    • 1/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      Party platform; candidate not quoted. ABC Vancouver publishes 2 commitments on this issue.

    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 1/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      “Crime analysis near a downtown overdose prevention site”

      Recorded by the Vancouver Police Department; the analysis itself is not published, May 21, 2026.

      VPD 2026 Commendation Awards (Beyond the Call booklet)
    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    ABC Vancouver’s platform on homelessness and drugs: 2 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.

    What this office controls. Council funds shelter sites, street cleaning and city outreach, and decides where supportive housing is approved. Health services, treatment beds and drug policy are provincial and federal.

    Every City Council candidate on homelessness and drugs, scored the same way

  3. Policing and public safety3/10
    • 2/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      “She has engaged Vancouver business owners who have expressed their frustration with rising vandalism, assaults, and violent shoplifting.”

      Stated by the candidate.

      Arezo Zarrabian candidate page
    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      No instrument the office controls is named.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      No number for what would exist or change.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      No cost or funding source.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      No date or term milestone.

    • 1/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      “Analysis for Project Barcode and the Retail Crime Task Force, recognised by the police chief”

      Recorded by the Vancouver Police Department, May 21, 2026.

      VPD 2026 Commendation Awards (Beyond the Call booklet)
    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    ABC Vancouver’s platform on public safety: 5 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.

    What this office controls. Council approves the police budget. The Vancouver Police Board, not Council, directs the police department. Fire and rescue services report to the city.

    Every City Council candidate on public safety, scored the same way

  4. Transport and street design1/10
    • 1/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      Party platform; candidate not quoted. ABC Vancouver publishes 2 commitments on this issue.

    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      No dated public action on this issue found.

    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    ABC Vancouver’s platform on transport: 2 commitments, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.

    What this office controls. The city owns and designs its streets, bike lanes, sidewalks and parking rules. Buses, SkyTrain and SeaBus are run by TransLink, a regional body the city does not control.

    Every City Council candidate on transport, scored the same way

  5. City taxes and the capital plan1/10
    • 1/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      Party platform; candidate not quoted. ABC Vancouver publishes 5 commitments on this issue.

    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      No dated public action on this issue found.

    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    ABC Vancouver’s platform on taxes and budget: 5 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.

    What this office controls. Council sets the property tax rate each year, approves the operating budget, and approves the multi-year capital plan that pays for buildings and infrastructure.

    Every City Council candidate on taxes and budget, scored the same way

  6. Climate and buildings0/10
    • 0/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      No position found by voche.me as of September 25, 2026.

    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      No statement to read.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      No statement to read.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      No statement to read.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      No statement to read.

    • 0/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      No dated public action on this issue found.

    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    What this office controls. Vancouver has its own building bylaw under the Vancouver Charter, so Council can set energy and emissions rules for new buildings that other BC cities cannot.

    Every City Council candidate on climate, scored the same way

  7. Culture and nightlife1/10
    • 1/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      Party platform; candidate not quoted. ABC Vancouver publishes 2 commitments on this issue.

    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      No dated public action on this issue found.

    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    ABC Vancouver’s platform on culture: 2 commitments, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.

    What this office controls. The city licenses venues and events, sets noise and business rules, and funds cultural grants and spaces. Liquor licensing is shared with the province.

    Every City Council candidate on culture, scored the same way

  8. Child care1/10
    • 1/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      Party platform; candidate not quoted. ABC Vancouver publishes 3 commitments on this issue.

    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.

    • 0/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      No dated public action on this issue found.

    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    ABC Vancouver’s platform on child care: 3 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.

    What this office controls. The city creates child care spaces through zoning, city-owned buildings and development contributions. Licensing, subsidies and operating funding are provincial.

    Every City Council candidate on child care, scored the same way

  9. Economy and small business2/10
    • 2/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      “She has collaborated with several Business Improvement Associations (BIA) and is a strong advocate for small business owners.”

      Stated by the candidate.

      Arezo Zarrabian candidate page
    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      No instrument the office controls is named.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      No number for what would exist or change.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      No cost or funding source.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      No date or term milestone.

    • 0/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      No dated public action on this issue found.

    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    What this office controls. Council issues business licences, sets licence and permit fees, zones commercial and industrial land and approves business improvement areas under the Vancouver Charter. Employment law, sales taxes and income taxes are provincial and federal.

    Every City Council candidate on economy, scored the same way

  10. Governance and City Hall0/10
    • 0/2
      A position in the candidate’s own words

      No position found by voche.me as of September 25, 2026.

    • 0/2
      Names a mechanism the office controls

      No statement to read.

    • 0/2
      States a measurable target

      No statement to read.

    • 0/1
      States a cost or funding source

      No statement to read.

    • 0/1
      States a timeline

      No statement to read.

    • 0/1
      A dated, sourced action on the issue

      No dated public action on this issue found.

    • 0/1
      Answered the voche.me question on the issue

      The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.

    What this office controls. Council, the Park Board and the Board of Education each set their own meeting rules, committees, public consultation and reporting. The Vancouver Charter and the School Act create the three bodies and set their powers, and only the Province can change those acts.

    Every City Council candidate on governance, scored the same way

Which of these issues matter to you? Weight them and see all City Council candidates in your own order.

Search log for Arezo Zarrabian: 7 of 7 steps done. Every point links to the source it was read in. Report an error through the corrections form.

Where can you hear Arezo Zarrabian?

No upcoming public appearance by Arezo Zarrabian is confirmed in the sources checked on October 3, 2026.

Checked October 3, 2026 · All event times are Vancouver local time. Recheck the organizer before travelling.

On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.

About Arezo Zarrabian

Arezo Zarrabian appears on the City of Vancouver's final 2026 candidate list for City Council, with ballot number 126. The City records the affiliation as ABC Vancouver.

ABC Vancouver's candidate page says Zarrabian has worked at the Vancouver Police Department for more than 19 years as a crime analyst. It says she studied Criminology and Political Science at Simon Fraser University and completed an internship with a United States congressional committee on homeland security in Washington DC. Daily Hive reported the same education and Washington work in 2022.

Daily Hive describes Zarrabian as a crime and data analyst who has worked at the Vancouver Police Department for close to 20 years. CTV News reported on September 29, 2026 that she has been with the department for 19 years and is on leave while she runs for council. Police Chief Steve Rai told CTV News that she is on leave under the rules for employees who seek office.

The ABC campaign page says Zarrabian has received three Chief Citations and one Chief Commendation from the police department. The department's own awards booklets show two awards: a Chief Constable's Unit Citation in 2010, given to her with a patrol team for a project called Crowsnest, and a Chief Constable's Commendation in 2026 for her work as a senior crime analyst. voche.me did not find the other two citations in the booklets it could open.

Zarrabian stood for Vancouver city council in 2022 as a Non-Partisan Association candidate and received 10,361 votes, 6.04 percent, without winning a seat.

Daily Hive reports that Zarrabian was not an ABC supporter at first and joined the party because of Mayor Ken Sim's focus on public safety.

Hamyaari Media, a Persian-language outlet in Vancouver, writes her name in Persian as آرزو ضرابیان.

voche.me assembled this profile from the official candidate list and the campaign material linked under Sources. The campaign has not been contacted, and no candidate-supplied content appears on this page.

Police crime analyst Arezo Zarrabian runs for ABC council seat for second election, raising questions about VPD ties to the party Read the sources

Commitments and the available evidence.

Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.

14 commitments shown · Checked Oct 3

A safer and more affordable Vancouver

Daily Hive reports that Zarrabian's campaign will focus on making Vancouver safer and more affordable while creating better opportunities for families and businesses. Daily Hive says its account of her background comes from information the party provided.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The report names the priority areas. It does not quote Zarrabian on them and gives no measure, number, cost or date.
What still needs checking
Which specific policing or bylaw change Zarrabian would propose.

Retail crime and small business

The ABC campaign page says Zarrabian has collaborated with several Business Improvement Associations and has engaged Vancouver business owners who have expressed frustration with rising vandalism, assaults and violent shoplifting. The VoteMate profile her team submitted repeats the same text.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The pages describe work done so far. No council measure, number, cost or date is named.
What still needs checking
What council would do differently on retail crime under this candidate.

Property tax freeze for 2027

The ABC Vancouver platform page lists a 0% property tax increase in 2027 for buyers and renters.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party platform. Daily Hive reported it on September 22, 2026. The platform does not name Zarrabian, and voche.me found no statement of her own on the tax freeze.
What still needs checking
Whether Zarrabian states support for the tax freeze in the candidate's own words.

Ban on open-air hard drug use

The ABC Vancouver platform page lists a ban on open-air hard drug use in public spaces.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party platform. It does not name Zarrabian. The platform page gives no wording, penalty, cost or date for the ban.
What still needs checking
What the ban would say and who would enforce it.

Housing supply through faster permits

In the 2022 candidate profile, Zarrabian listed housing as her second priority: focus on housing supply, less red tape and shorter permit wait times. A 2022 report on a UBC debate says she and two other candidates promised to streamline the process of issuing development permits.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is 2022 material. No 2026 statement by Zarrabian on housing was found as of September 25, 2026.
What still needs checking
Whether the same housing position is part of the 2026 campaign.

Support for small business owners

The ABC campaign page says Zarrabian has collaborated with several Business Improvement Associations and is a strong advocate for small business owners. The page also says she believes in the importance and growth of Vancouver's business community.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The page describes her advocacy so far. No council measure, number, cost or date is named. The VoteMate profile her team submitted repeats the text, and no independent confirmation was found.
What still needs checking
What would this cost, who would deliver it, and by when?

Keeping Vancouver safe

In a first-person post on ABC Vancouver's X account, Zarrabian says she is running to help keep Vancouver safe, affordable and moving forward, and that her work as a crime analyst showed her what it takes to make the city safer.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
ABC Vancouver's account published the post, and voche.me has not confirmed who wrote it. The post gives no measure, number, cost or date.
What still needs checking
Which safety measure she would bring to Council, what it would cost and when it would start.

A city where businesses can thrive

In the same post, Zarrabian says she wants Vancouver to be a city where families feel safe, businesses can thrive and the next generation can afford to build their future.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The post states a hope for the city. No council measure, number, cost or date is named.
What still needs checking
Which business measure she would bring to Council, what it would cost and when it would start.

Ending residential parking permit fees

The ABC Vancouver platform page lists ending residential parking permit fees.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party platform. It does not name Zarrabian. The platform page gives no cost, no date and no source for the money the fees bring in now.
What still needs checking
What the change would cost the City and when it would start.

No pay parking at beaches and community centres

The ABC Vancouver platform page lists removing pay parking at beaches and community centres.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party platform. It does not name Zarrabian. The platform page gives no cost, no date and no source for the money the parking fees bring in now.
What still needs checking
What the change would cost and which beaches and community centres it covers.

One parking app for the whole city

The ABC Vancouver platform page lists a mandate for a city-wide universal parking app.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party platform. It does not name Zarrabian. The platform page gives no cost, no date and no detail on how the mandate would work.
What still needs checking
Which body would build the app and how private parking operators would be required to use it.

A fight for 100 plus involuntary care beds

The ABC Vancouver platform page lists a fight for 100 plus involuntary care beds in Vancouver.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is the party platform. It does not name Zarrabian. The platform page says the party will fight for the beds. It gives no cost, no date and no body that would build and run them.
What still needs checking
Which body would build and run the beds, and what step Council itself would take.

Harm reduction tied to treatment

In the 2022 candidate profile, Zarrabian's first priority was public safety: crisis-level leadership on public safety at city hall, with harm reduction tied to treatment. A 2022 report on a UBC debate says she and one other candidate supported tying existing safe supply programs with long-term treatment programs.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is 2022 material. No 2026 statement by Zarrabian on harm reduction or treatment was found as of September 25, 2026.
What still needs checking
Whether her 2026 position on drug policy matches the party platform's ban on open-air hard drug use.

Core services with fewer taxes

In the 2022 candidate profile, Zarrabian's third priority was core services: improve basic services with fewer taxes and less government waste.

Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is 2022 material. No 2026 statement by Zarrabian on taxes was found as of September 25, 2026.
What still needs checking
Whether she states support for the party's 2027 property tax freeze in her own words.

Policies, budgets & programs

Each entry below names its source. Campaign material is the candidate's own account. Nothing here is presented as a verified outcome unless the entry says so.

Senior crime analyst on the Vancouver Police Department's Project Barcode

The podcast The Voice of Retail describes Zarrabian as the Senior Crime Analyst at the Vancouver Police Department and says her data-driven insights guide every phase of Project Barcode, a police effort against organized retail crime. The Retail Council of Canada's own page for the episode calls Project Barcode a data-driven task force that investigates and fights violent retail crime on the streets of Vancouver.

Scope, limits and sources

The date is the date of the encore listing on Apple Podcasts. The listing says the original episode aired in January 2025. The listing says the project launched in 2021, and Business in Vancouver reported on March 6, 2025 that it launched in 2022. The campaign page's account of an 18-month project with Zarrabian as the sole analyst comes from the campaign only. voche.me has not opened a Vancouver Police Department record of the project. The two sources are podcast pages, which describe her job and role. They show no completed work that an independent record confirms, so this entry earns no record point. On October 3, 2026 voche.me read the police department's 2026 awards booklet, which names her as the analyst for Project Barcode. That record has its own entry, dated May 21, 2026.

Showed retail crime figures at a Vancouver Police Department forum for retailers

Business in Vancouver reports that Vancouver Police Department senior analyst Arezo Zarrabian showed data on retail crime across the city for a 30-day period at a forum for retail professionals at Robson Square.

Scope, limits and sources

A presentation of data at a forum is not one of the actions the score counts, so this entry earns no points.

Analysis for Project Barcode and the Retail Crime Task Force, recognised by the police chief

The Vancouver Police Department's 2026 awards booklet gives Zarrabian the Chief Constable's Commendation. It says that as the analyst for Project Barcode, a project on violent retail crime, she delivered analysis under tight deadlines and built a method to track the project's results, which she later presented at a conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. It also says she supports the Retail Crime Task Force by identifying offenders who commit many crimes.

Scope, limits and sources

The date is the day the booklet file was created. CTV News reported that she received the commendation in May 2026 and that Chief Steve Rai said he did not know she was thinking of running again when he chose her. This is her work as a police employee. The booklet does not say she was the only analyst, how long the project ran, or what results it measured.

Crime analysis near a downtown overdose prevention site

The police department's 2026 awards booklet says her analysis of street disorder and violent crime near a downtown overdose prevention site contributed to the City's decision to relocate the facility. CTV News reported that Mayor Ken Sim credited her analysis of crime and disorder around the Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site with helping inform council's decision to close it.

Scope, limits and sources

The date is the day the booklet file was created. Neither source gives the date of the analysis or publishes it. CTV News reported that Sim and the ABC councillors voted in 2024 to close the site, and that health officials have urged the City to open another location because the area around it had the second-highest rate of fatal overdoses in the city last year.

Talks, interviews & statements

Read original statements and reporting, or open the publisher’s video. A summary of a speech is labelled separately from a full recording.

Interview

Interview with CTV News on her police work and her candidacy

Zarrabian told CTV News that her work on crime rates in different neighbourhoods makes her a good candidate, because the policy questions are how crime affects families, businesses and neighbourhoods. She said crime analysts are trained to keep political bias out of their work. Asked about the 2022 figure of 4.2 stranger assaults per day, she said she saw no drop in District 1, the downtown area she covered, and that decisions on publishing that data were made by other parts of the department.

Controversies & public scrutiny

Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.

Questions about a police crime analyst running in a partisan campaign

CTV News reported concerns from political scientist Stewart Prest and Mark MacLean, a former chair of mathematics at the University of British Columbia, that a police crime analyst who runs for a party and then returns to work could affect public trust in police data. MacLean said he was not questioning her work. CTV also reported that the stranger-assault figure she spoke about in her 2022 campaign had fallen from 4.2 to 1.8 per day in the first half of 2022, and that the police did not share this until fall 2023.

Candidate or party response

Zarrabian told CTV News there is no room for bias in crime data work and that she saw no drop in District 1. She said there is data behind that; CTV said it asked her for the data and had not received it after several days. Through the ABC communications team she did not answer, by CTV's deadline, whether she would keep her police job if elected. Chief Steve Rai said anyone concerned about impartiality can make a formal complaint, and that she is on leave under the rules for employees who seek office.

Verified status and limits

No complaint, finding or ruling was reported as of October 3, 2026. The concerns are commentary published by CTV News.

Read the reporting

A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.

Daily Hive

Ken Sim's ABC party names four new Vancouver City Council candidates

Kenneth Chan reports the addition of Zarrabian, Joyce Gillespie, Lorraine Lowe and David Grewal to the ABC council slate, and describes Zarrabian's police analyst career and the reason given for joining ABC.

Daily Hive

NPA names candidates for 2022 civic election, signals it will be tough on crime

Kenneth Chan reports the NPA's 2022 slate. Zarrabian is named as one of three council candidates with law enforcement backgrounds, with criminology study at Simon Fraser University and work for a United States congressional committee on homeland security.

Daily Hive

Vancouver's 2026 civic election candidate list is set

Kenneth Chan's ballot order list. Zarrabian appears as council candidate number 126 for ABC Vancouver.

CTV News

‘Unusual’ ties between Vancouver police, mayor’s party scrutinized as crime analyst joins campaign

Andrew Weichel reports on Zarrabian's leave from the police department to run for ABC, concerns raised by two academics about police and party politics, the 2022 stranger-assault figures, and her 2026 commendation, with her answers and the police chief's.

Hamyaari Media

Iranian-Canadian candidates in the 2026 BC local elections, from Kelowna to West Vancouver

A Persian-language article profiling Iranian-Canadian candidates across the province. It names Zarrabian as an ABC council candidate and, based on her campaign introduction, lists neighbourhood safety, conditions for businesses and a future for young people as her stated focus. The title here is voche.me's translation.

Check the evidence

Sources checked October 3, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.

Official record 5 sources
Campaign 5 sources
Reporting 9 sources
Interview 2 sources
Event organizer 1 sources
Event listing 2 sources

The ABC campaign page says she received three Chief Citations and one Chief Commendation. The police department's booklets confirm the 2026 Chief Constable's Commendation and a 2010 Chief Constable's Unit Citation. The other two citations were not found: the booklets for 2009 and 2020 to 2024 could not be opened, and the 2025 booklet does not name her. The police booklet names her as the analyst for Project Barcode. It does not confirm the campaign's account of an 18-month project with her as the only analyst, or of the provincial measures that followed. The analysis of crime near the downtown overdose prevention site is described by the police department and, through CTV News, by Mayor Ken Sim; the analysis itself is not published. Her start year at the police department was not found; the 2010 booklet shows she worked there by then. CTV News asked whether she would keep her police job if elected and received no answer by its deadline. The Vancouver Police Union's Vote Public Safety site says it will publish candidates' answers to five questions; none were published when voche.me checked on October 3, 2026. HUB Cycling's Vancouver survey page refused automated reads. Her X account now shows 934 posts, but the public view shows nothing after September 23, 2026, so newer posts were not read. A person must watch the September 11, 2026 ABC Vancouver video in which she introduces herself, because its spoken words could not be read. Family details were left out of this record.

What voche.me has checked

Evidence reviewed on September 22, 2026: Current campaign material; biographical claims require corroboration.

Campaign page read on September 22, 2026. 1 stated position and 3 background facts recorded here. This site blocks automated requests, so each quotation was read from the live page twice, independently.

Sources read on October 3, 2026: the City's councillor candidate list, the ABC candidate page again, the police department's awards booklets for 2010 and 2026, a CTV News report and a Persian-language article by Hamyaari Media.

Checks still to do: independently check the project outcomes the campaign describes. The police chief told CTV News on September 29, 2026 that she is on leave from the department during the campaign.

The ballot name, office, ballot number and party label come from the City's final candidate list. Everything described as campaign material is the campaign's own account and has not been confirmed by an independent source.

Experience & community

2010 or earlier to 2026, on leave during the campaign

Senior crime analyst, Vancouver Police Department

The ABC campaign page says the work covers crime data analytics and finding crime patterns that need data-driven solutions, across several Vancouver neighbourhoods. The police department's 2010 awards booklet names her among the staff given a unit citation that year, and its 2026 booklet calls her the senior crime analyst for District 1. CTV News reported in September 2026 that she is on leave from the department during the campaign.

Vancouver Police Department · 2026 commendation awards booklet
18 months, end date not stated

Analyst, BARCODE violent shoplifting initiative

The ABC campaign page says Zarrabian was the sole analyst on an 18-month initiative called BARCODE that targeted organized retail crime in Vancouver, and that the work fed into provincial measures and the creation of a Retail Crime Task Force. The police department's 2026 awards booklet names her as the analyst for Project Barcode and says she supports the Retail Crime Task Force. The booklet does not say she was the only analyst or how long the project ran.

Arezo Zarrabian candidate page
2022

Council candidate, Non-Partisan Association

Daily Hive reported in May 2022 that Zarrabian was one of three NPA council candidates with law enforcement backgrounds. The candidate profile filed for that election set out priorities on public safety, housing supply, and core city services.

NPA names candidates for 2022 civic election

Questions for the candidate

Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.

Which safety measures would you use to evaluate a policy, beyond police incident counts?

No response has been submitted.

Which of your proposals can council enact directly, and which require provincial, federal or regional agreement?

No response has been submitted.

Have your own question?

Ask Arezo Zarrabian directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.

Questions about this page

Facts voche.me can state about Arezo Zarrabian's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.

Is this an official page for Arezo Zarrabian?

No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Arezo Zarrabian's own campaign.

What is Arezo Zarrabian's ballot number for the 2026 Vancouver election?

Arezo Zarrabian is number 126 on the City of Vancouver's official 2026 ballot for City Council.

What party did Arezo Zarrabian run with?

Arezo Zarrabian ran for City Council with ABC Vancouver.

Does Arezo Zarrabian currently hold public office?

Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Arezo Zarrabian.

How many sources does this Arezo Zarrabian profile cite?

This profile lists 4 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.

Has Arezo Zarrabian filed nomination papers for the 2026 election?

voche.me has not yet added a nomination record for Arezo Zarrabian. This does not mean no nomination paper was filed, only that voche.me has not completed that research yet.

Why do some questions on Arezo Zarrabian's page show no answer?

The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Arezo Zarrabian in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.

When was the election Arezo Zarrabian ran in?

The 2026 Vancouver municipal election, including the City Council race, was decided on October 17, 2026.

Space for campaign updates

Police records, a CTV News report and a past forum

voche.me added the Vancouver Police Department's 2026 awards booklet, which gives Zarrabian the Chief Constable's Commendation and describes her work on Project Barcode and near a downtown overdose prevention site, and its 2010 booklet, which lists a unit citation. Two record entries were added from these. A CTV News report of September 29, 2026 was added as an interview, a news item and a dispute entry with her reply and the police chief's. A Persian-language article by Hamyaari Media was added. The experience entry gave 2007 as an estimated start year for her police work, which no source shows; it now says 2010 or earlier, from the 2010 booklet. Two biography paragraphs that repeated the education and awards were merged, and a paragraph that repeated the ballot number was removed. The Last Candidate Standing forum of October 1, 2026 was removed from the calendar because it has passed and no source shows she took part. An online food policy town hall on October 13, 2026 was added as unconfirmed.

Read the update

Pledge wording corrected and new pages read

Six commitments were checked against the pages they cite and reworded. The entry on public safety called it the main council focus. Daily Hive says the campaign will focus on making Vancouver safer and more affordable, so the entry now says that. The retail crime entry said she works with Business Improvement Associations and speaks for owners on vandalism, assaults and shoplifting. The ABC page says she has collaborated with the associations and has engaged business owners who are frustrated by those crimes, so the entry now says that. The tax freeze entry also listed parking fees. It now covers the tax freeze only, and the parking items have their own entries. The drug entry said the party proposes to establish at least 100 involuntary care beds. The platform page says the party will fight for 100 plus beds, so the beds have their own entry with that wording, and the drug entry covers the ban on open-air hard drug use. The 2022 housing entry now follows the words of the 2022 candidate profile and adds a 2022 news report. The Business in Vancouver report and the Retail Council of Canada page, listed before as unreadable, were opened through Internet Archive copies.

Police analyst role no longer counted as a public safety record

Two podcast pages describe Arezo Zarrabian’s role on a police retail-crime project. A role description with no independent record of completed work earns no record point, so the entry stays on the record and earns no score.

Sources & transparency

Missing information does not imply a candidate’s position. Read our editorial standards.

Campaign contact

Campaign links & contact.

Find the candidate’s website, social accounts and contact information.

View more candidates.

All candidate spaces
Candidate Q&A

Ask Arezo Zarrabian a question.

Give your name, email and question. We send it to the campaign, and publish their answer here if we get one.

CORRECTIONS

Report a problem on this page.

Tell the editors what is wrong and where the correct information can be checked. The page you are on is attached automatically.