Police crime analyst Arezo Zarrabian runs for ABC council seat for second election, raising questions about VPD ties to the party
CTV News reports that Arezo Zarrabian, a senior Vancouver Police Department crime analyst on leave, is running for City Council under ABC Vancouver for a second time. Political scientists and an academic are raising questions about the close relationship between ABC and the VPD.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on ctvnews.ca.
A senior Vancouver Police Department crime analyst is running for City Council under Mayor Ken Sim's ABC Vancouver party for the second consecutive election, CTV News reported on September 29, 2026. Reporter Andrew Weichel writes that the pattern of ABC fielding current or recent VPD employees in three straight elections has drawn scrutiny from political scientists.
Arezo Zarrabian has worked at the VPD for 19 years, according to CTV News. She is currently on leave to run on the ABC slate. She previously ran with the Non-Partisan Association.
What researchers and academics said to CTV News
Political scientist Stewart Prest told CTV News that this October will mark the third consecutive election in which ABC has fielded a candidate who is a current or recent VPD employee, which he called "unusual" in Vancouver politics. "We certainly haven't seen a single party so consistently identify with the police service," Prest said. He also told CTV that the VPD budget "seems to be treated differently" than other services under the current council.
CTV News reports the VPD budget grew from $341 million to $497 million since Sim and his ABC-majority council took office. The Zero Means Zero budget, which froze property taxes for 2026, cut spending in parks, planning, sustainability and other departments while increasing police spending by $50 million, according to the article.
Mark MacLean, a former mathematics chair at the University of British Columbia, told CTV News that public institutions such as police departments need to be "as complete and careful and dispassionate as possible" in how they collect and present data. MacLean said Zarrabian's repeated runs for political office then return to her role raises fair questions about public trust in the department's reports, though he told CTV he was not questioning the quality of her work or her positions.
The police union and the 2022 election
The Vancouver Police Union endorsed Sim in the 2022 election, breaking from its usual practice, CTV News reports. For 2026, the union is not endorsing any candidate. CTV News reports the union has reshared posts about Zarrabian's ABC candidacy and an ABC attack ad against mayoral challenger Pete Fry. VPU president Jason Chan told CTV News he does not view the union's survey of candidates, launched weeks before election day, as a political act.
Zarrabian's response
Zarrabian told CTV News her career makes her well suited to address the city's problems. On impartiality, she said her training and accreditation specifically focus on avoiding political bias in data analysis. CTV News asked, through ABC's communications team, whether she would continue working at the VPD if elected, but received no response by deadline.
Voters choosing among City Council candidates on October 17 can review all nominations.
Questions this story answers
Who is Arezo Zarrabian?
Arezo Zarrabian is a senior crime analyst with the Vancouver Police Department who has been with the department for 19 years, according to CTV News. She is currently on leave to run for City Council under ABC Vancouver, the party led by Mayor Ken Sim. This is her second council run; she previously ran with the Non-Partisan Association. Her candidate page is at voche.me/candidates/arezo-zarrabian.
What office is Arezo Zarrabian running for?
Arezo Zarrabian is running for Vancouver City Council in the October 17, 2026 municipal election under the ABC Vancouver party. City Council has ten seats elected in a city-wide vote, and voters can choose up to ten candidates from all parties and independents on the ballot. A full list of council candidates is at /nominations.
What did political scientist Stewart Prest say about ABC and the VPD?
Stewart Prest, a political scientist, told CTV News on September 29, 2026 that October 2026 will mark the third consecutive election in which ABC Vancouver has fielded a candidate who is a current or recent VPD employee. He called this unusual in Vancouver politics, saying no other party has so consistently identified with the police service. Prest also told CTV that the VPD budget appears to be treated differently from other city departments under ABC, pointing to the budget growing from $341 million to $497 million since the current council took office.
What did the Vancouver Police Union do in 2022 and 2026?
The Vancouver Police Union broke from its usual practice and endorsed Ken Sim for mayor in the 2022 election, according to CTV News. For the 2026 election, the union is not endorsing any candidate. CTV News reports the union has reshared social media posts about Zarrabian's ABC candidacy and an ABC attack ad against mayoral challenger Pete Fry. The union also sent safety-related questions to every mayoral and council candidate and launched a website called Vote Public Safety to post their answers.
How did Arezo Zarrabian respond to questions about her role and her campaigns?
Zarrabian told CTV News on September 29, 2026 that her career analyzing crime data makes her well suited to address major city problems, covering crime rates, policy, and how decisions affect families, businesses, and neighbourhoods. On impartiality, she said her training and accreditation specifically focus on not having a political-leaning bias. CTV News asked, through the ABC communications team, whether she would continue working at the VPD if elected to council but had not received a response by the article's deadline.
What is the Zero Means Zero budget?
The Zero Means Zero budget is the name Mayor Ken Sim gave to a budget that froze property taxes for 2026. According to CTV News, reporting on September 29, 2026, the same budget increased police spending by $50 million while making steep cuts in parks, planning, sustainability and other departments. Political scientist Stewart Prest told CTV this different treatment of the police budget is one reason to look carefully at the relationship between ABC and the VPD.
What did the Vancouver police chief say about Zarrabian's job after the election?
Police Chief Steve Rai declined an interview with CTV News but answered questions by email, according to the September 29, 2026 report. Rai said Zarrabian is currently on leave under the rules for employees seeking public office, and that an employee on leave can return to the workplace after the leave ends. He said anyone with concerns about impartiality could make a formal complaint to the department.
Where can I find more information on all City Council candidates?
A full list of candidates for Vancouver City Council in the October 17, 2026 election is at /nominations. Arezo Zarrabian's individual profile is at /candidates/arezo-zarrabian. You can also find information on her party, ABC Vancouver, at /parties/abc-vancouver.
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