Photo: Contributed - VPD

Retiring Vancouver police Chief Jim Chu is being honoured by the provincial government for his decades of service as the department prepares to bring in a new leader.

Chu has become the first municipal police officer in British Columbia to be issued a provincial commission, the same day his successor is set to be sworn in.

The honour recognizes senior members of police departments for their rank, professionalism and dedication to policing, and takes after the military tradition of officer commissions.

Chu joined the Vancouver Police Department in 1979, and has led the force since 2007.

During his tenure as chief, Chu oversaw inquiries into how the force handled the Robert Pickton serial murder investigation, admitted the city was embroiled in a bloody gang war, and acted as his department's public face during the Stanley Cup riot.

Adam Palmer will become Vancouver's new chief constable today following 28 years with the department, including five as deputy chief.