In May 2025, Chief Constable Steve Rai was appointed to lead the sworn and civilian members of the Vancouver Police Department. At his side are Senior Deputy Chief Constable Howard Chow, Deputy Chief Don Chapman, Deputy Chief Andrew Chan, and Deputy Chief Alison Laurin, who each lead their own Division.
As of 2024, the VPD has 483 civilian employees and 1,452 sworn officers.
Chief Constable Steve Rai, O.O.M.
Chief Constable Steve Rai was born in Punjab, India, and immigrated to Vancouver with his family at a young age. Prior to joining the Vancouver Police Department, he served with the Canadian Forces Reserves while also completing his bachelor of arts degree in Asian studies at the University of British Columbia. He then went on to further his education with a master of arts in criminal justice from the University of the Fraser Valley.
Chief Rai began his career with the VPD in 1990, working for eight years as a frontline patrol constable in District 3, with duties that included field training and mentoring new police officers. He also drew on his cultural background to work extensively with the District’s diverse communities. Chief Rai subsequently completed assignments in Court and Detention Services, as a Recruiting Unit investigator, and on secondment to the former Coordinated Law Enforcement Unit. He then completed a second operational tour in District 1 as the community police officer where he managed the Davie Street Community Policing Office. This position required collaboration with local community leaders, business owners, and volunteers to address neighbourhood crime and disorder issues.
In addition to his regular operational duties, Chief Rai completed a number of concurrent assignments, including ten years as an Emergency Response Team crisis negotiator, six years with the VPD’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and three years with the Forensic Interview Team, utilizing his Punjabi language skills.
Chief Rai was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2003, where he returned to District 3. As an operational supervisor, he oversaw a team of ten constables, dealing with a multitude of critical incidents and complex investigations. In 2004, he transferred to the position of sergeant-in-charge of the VPD Recruiting Unit. During this assignment, he led a highly motivated team of investigators in fulfilling the Department’s mandate of hiring a large number of police officers, jail guards and traffic authority members. His team was successful in attracting numerous new exempt police officer applicants while also increasing the number of Indigenous, ethnic, and female recruits, through innovative community outreach and mentoring of young future officers.
Following his position in the Recruiting Unit, Chief Rai returned to the Operations Division, this time in District 2, including the Downtown Eastside. He managed a team of constables dealing with unique sets of problems including extreme poverty and serious drug addiction.
Chief Rai joined the VPD Senior Leadership Team upon his promotion to the rank of inspector in 2007, where he took on the role of Executive Officer in the Chief Constable’s Office. His next assignment was in 2008 as the Operational Duty Officer, where he was responsible for critical incident management city-wide. In 2009, Chief Rai returned to the Training and Recruiting Section during a high-pressure time — the section successfully hired a large number of officers in preparation for the 2010 Olympics while increasing the diversity of the department, earning him a Chief Constable’s Citation.
Chief Rai also became a certified Bronze, Silver, and Gold Public Order Commander in 2009, where he effectively led the response to a number of high-profile and protracted public order protests and demonstrations. He was a Vancouver Departmental Operations Centre Commander for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Incident Commander for the Occupy Vancouver Movement, and led the successful quelling of the 2011 Stanley Cup Riot as North Commander.
After the 2010 Olympics, Chief Rai transferred to become the Director in charge of the Human Resources Section, where he led a strong team of senior sergeants, exempt managers, and civilian professionals in meeting the challenging needs of VPD’s diverse workforce. In this role, Chief Rai initiated and led the formation of the Employee Wellness Program, delivering a positive effect on employee retention, which significantly contributed to the future recognition of the VPD as one of British Columbia’s Top Employers.
In 2012, Chief Rai returned to the Operations Division as the District 3 Commander, where he oversaw 200 police officers and was responsible for all crime-fighting approaches and community partnerships. Under his command, targeted programs were implemented to address crime trends including focused bicycle and foot patrols in designated areas without impacting regular service efficiencies. During this time, overall District 3 crime dropped by 21% and the violent crime rate decreased by 17%.
In July 2014, Chief Rai was promoted to superintendent in Personnel Services, where he oversaw all sworn and civilian employee matters, including managing union issues, employee support, promotions, training standards, and discipline under the BC Police Act. As superintendent, he stabilized some of the most contentious Professional Standards files in recent VPD history, while strengthening cooperative relationships with union partners, the Office of the Police Complaints Commission, community groups, and individuals. His actions led to the near-total replacement of formal grievance proceedings by informal resolutions that exemplify responsiveness, consistency, fairness, and unbiased decision-making.
In June 2015, he was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable of Support Services Division, including Finance, Human Resources, Professional Standards, Labour and Employee Relations, Training and Recruiting, Force Options, Risk Management, Technology, Legal, Facilities, Fleet, Information Management, and Strategic Planning. Through innovative recruiting strategies, he has led the hiring of the majority of the current sworn and civilian VPD workforce. He led the implementation of leading-edge cultural competency and de-escalation training, a comprehensive employee wellness and support program, and technological advancements and efficiencies at the VPD. He has also led bargaining with all employee union groups through four consecutive collective agreement settlements, and has managed the annual VPD budget for the last decade.
Also during his tenure as Deputy Chief, he led the 2017 Operational Review which resulted in more than 170 additional staff for the VPD, the organization’s COVID-19 response, a successful budget appeal in 2021, the 2023 VPD Deployment Plan for the hiring of the 100 new officers allocated by Vancouver Mayor and City Council, and the implementation of Enterprise Risk Management in 2024. Furthermore, he championed the rollout of a new respectful workplace policy and oversees organization-wide strategic and business planning, including the development of the 2017-2021 and 2022-2026 VPD strategic plans.
Chief Rai continues to expand his executive leadership skills. He was the only Canadian police officer accepted for the U.S. State Department’s International Leadership Development Program, which brought together police leaders from throughout the world. He is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute Leadership Program, the Major City Chiefs Association Police Executive Leadership Program, the Harvard Business School Executive Development Program, and the Global Policing Innovation Exchange coordinated by the Australian Institute of Police Management.
Throughout his career, he has been involved in many different committees in support of the law enforcement profession and his impact extends beyond Vancouver. He was one of the founding members of the Canadian Armed Forces Advisory Council on Diversity, where he shared his expertise in recruiting for diversity into the Canadian military. He has served as the President of the BC Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police (BCAMCP) and on Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) committees, leading change and advancing complex multi-jurisdictional public safety issues provincially and nationally.
He has received five VPD commendations along with several community and other external awards. These include the Chief Constable’s Commendation for “courage and professionalism,” four Chief Constable Unit Citations, Police Exemplary Service Medals, and the King Charles III Coronation Medal. He was also the recipient of the Khalsa Diwan Society and India Cultural Centre of Canada Community Exemplary Awards. He was appointed as a Member to the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in May 2016, and promoted to Officer within the Order of Merit (O.O.M.) in May 2020. The Order of Merit is “a fellowship of honour recognizing the highest qualities of citizenship, service to Canada, to the police community and to humanity at large.”
In 2025, Deputy Chief Rai was appointed as the 32nd Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Department.
Steve Rai, O.O.M.
Senior Deputy Chief Constable Howard Chow, O.O.M.
Senior Deputy Chief Howard Chow was born and raised in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and moved to BC in 1985 to attend Simon Fraser University where he completed a bachelor of arts degree in criminology.
Senior Deputy Chief Chow began his career with the VPD in 1989, and he has had many roles at various ranks throughout the city. He was part of the Crowd Control Unit for 12 years in the early ’90s, most recently as a Public Order Commander, and attended a highly regarded training centre in the UK, completing Silver-Bronze and Gold Commander courses.
As a dog handler, Senior Deputy Chief Chow spent almost nine years working and training two police dogs, Samson and Jackal. Together, they were responsible for the arrest and capture of hundreds of criminals.
In 2004, Senior Deputy Chief Chow became the Department’s media spokesperson, and for four years addressed reporters at daily press conferences on issues related to the VPD. He was one of two sergeants in charge of the Recruiting Unit, tasked with hiring over 200 members leading up to the 2010 Olympics. He led progressive and creative initiatives, such as using social media for recruiting — making VPD the first major police department in Canada to do so — and helped revolutionize conventional policing methods for attracting quality applicants.
Senior Deputy Chief Chow was assigned to the Integrated Riot Investigation Team in 2011, and the team pursued charges against rioters who participated in the Vancouver hockey riot. His communications background and his connections with the media helped support successful investigative strategies.
In 2012, he was a Staff Sergeant in the Traffic Section, followed by a promotion to Inspector in charge of Facilities, overseeing the security and management of 11 police buildings.
As the Inspector in charge of District 2 in 2014, he oversaw 200 police officers in the northeast area of Vancouver, the officers of the Beat Enforcement Team in the Downtown Eastside, and the Marine Unit.
In 2016, Deputy Chief Chow was promoted to Superintendent, Personnel Services, in charge of the Human Resources Section, the Professional Standards Section, and the Training and Recruiting Section.
He was promoted to Deputy Chief in September of 2017 and put in charge of the Operations Division. In 2025, he was promoted to Senior Deputy, in charge of the Investigation Division.
Senior Deputy Chief Chow is the current Chair of the Vancouver Police Community Fund. In 2017, he completed a master of arts in criminal justice from the University of the Fraser Valley.
Senior Deputy Chief Chow is the recipient of six VPD commendations and was honoured with the 125th Canadian Confederation of Canada medal in 1993. He has been married to his wife, Angie, for over 20 years.
Howard Chow, O.O.M.
Deputy Chief Don Chapman
Deputy Chief Chapman spent the first five years of his career working in Operations – District 3, as well as assignments as a field trainer, ERT reserve, and as a member of the Public Safety Unit. In 2003, he was selected to join the Emergency Response Team as a tactical operator and over the course of 11 years participated in 600 critical incidents, becoming a Team Leader and subject matter expert in explosive disposal, explosive forced entry and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear operations.
In 2013, Deputy Chief Chapman was promoted to sergeant and pursued assignments as the Aide to the Deputy Chief Constable in Operations. He led a patrol team in District 4, and oversaw the Research and Policy Unit in the Planning, Research, and Audit Section. In 2017, he was promoted to staff sergeant, and has since worked in the Operations Division, as well as in the Professional Standards Section.
In 2020, Deputy Chief Chapman was promoted to inspector, and was a Duty Officer and the Inspector in charge of the Emergency and Operational Planning Section.
In December 2021, he was promoted to superintendent and was assigned to the Support Services Division – Discipline Authority Services portfolio, where he performed the function of Discipline Authority in accordance with the BC Police Act. In the fall of 2023, Deputy Chief Chapman took over the VPD’s Operations Support Command portfolio, where he currently oversees the Departments Court and Detention Services Section, the Operations Support Section, the Traffic Section, and the Emergency Response Section. In addition, Deputy Chief Chapman is an accredited Public Safety Gold Commander, and he has spent the last two years working with the City of Vancouver and the Provincial Government to bring about a series of safe resolutions related to encampments within the Province of B.C. with specific emphasis given to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
In 2025, he was promoted to Deputy Chief in charge of the Strategy & Innovation Division.
Deputy Chief Chapman is the recipient of the 20-year Exemplary Service Medal, seven Chief Constable’s Unit Citation Awards, and is a Commissioner Officer as per Queen Elizabeth The Second. He continues to devote time as the Chair of the VPD’s Equipment Committee, CBRNE Working Group, the VPD’s Remotely Piloted Aerial Program, the mental health awareness initiative Project Connect Protect, and he represents the VPD as the Chair of the VPD’s Military Liaison Unit.
Don Chapman
Deputy Chief Andrew Chan, M.O.M.
Deputy Chief Andrew Chan began his career with the Vancouver Police Department in 1997 as a reserve constable and was sworn in as a regular constable in 1999. He spent the first five years of his career as a frontline patrol constable, and also held assignments walking the beat, on the bicycle squad, and as a member of the Public Safety Unit. In 2004, he was selected to the Emergency Response Team (ERT) as a tactical operator, where he held a variety of specialty assignments and was a key member of the training cadre for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Games deployment.
In 2011, Deputy Chief Chan was promoted to sergeant and held supervisory positions as an operational patrol sergeant and ERT tactical team leader. In 2016, he was assigned to the Human Resources Section and held positions as the sergeant-in-charge of the Department Security Office and staff sergeant-in-charge of the HR Operations units. Promoted to inspector in 2019, he remained assigned to the Human Resources Section as the officer-in-charge where he managed 14 units and was responsible for all aspects of HR operations and employee services for sworn and civilian professional staff. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Deputy Chief Chan was assigned as a Silver Commander in the VPD’s Department Operations Centre and was the executive lead in charge of the Pandemic Working Group. He was also the executive lead responsible for the development of the VPD’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.
Deputy Chief Chan has completed several policing and professional development programs throughout his career, including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) Police Executive Mentorship Program, the National Critical Incident Commander Program at the Canadian Police College (CPC), and the Gold Public Order Commander Course through the UK College of Policing. He has deployed operationally at a number of major security and public order events including the 2010 G20 Toronto Protests, 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot, and the 2022 Ottawa Freedom Convoy. Deputy Chief Chan has presented at national and international conferences, including the CACP Annual Summit, Law of Policing Conference, and INTERPOL Project Stadia Conference.
Promoted to superintendent in 2020, he joined the VPD’s executive leadership team and was assigned to Disciplinary Authority Services where he was responsible for the adjudication of Police Act Discipline Proceedings. In 2021, he was assigned to Operations Support Command where he was responsible for 400 police officers and special constables across six sections including the Court & Detention Services Section, Duty Officers, Emergency and Operational Planning Section, Emergency Response Section, Traffic Section, and Operations Support Section. In 2023, Deputy Chief Chan transferred to Emergency Management and Major Events Command as the executive lead in charge of the FIFA World Cup 2026 VancouverTM Integrated Safety and Security Unit.
In 2025, he was promoted to Deputy Chief in charge of the Support Services Division.
Deputy Chief Chan serves as the co-chair of the CACP Emergency Management Committee and in 2024 he was appointed as the Vice President of the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP). In 2024, Deputy Chief Chan was invested as a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces by the Governor General of Canada. He is the recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Police Exemplary Service Medal, the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Valour and Meritorious Service, and 10 VPD commendations. He is married to his wife Kathy, who is a senior VPD member, and they have a school-aged daughter, Natasha.
Andrew Chan, M.O.M.
Deputy Chief Alison Laurin
Deputy Chief Alison Laurin has been a member of the VPD since 2005. She began her career in uniform working in East Vancouver. She then served as a detective for three years in the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit, and for four years in the Homicide Unit. Additionally, she worked as an affiant on Project Reality, a major homicide and conspiracy investigation that had significant impacts on organized crime.
Promoted to sergeant in 2016, Deputy Chief Laurin served in the Professional Standards Section and the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit where she led numerous successful projects to apprehend sexual offenders. She also worked on several local and provincial committees focusing on the safety of women and children.
In 2020, she was promoted to staff sergeant and was assigned to the Beat Enforcement Team and the Marine Unit. She worked with five beat teams and engaged with numerous community partners. Here she successfully led Project Bankroll, a multi-jurisdictional fentanyl trafficking investigation which resulted in 15 criminal charges and the seizure of $4.7 million in illicit drugs, firearms, and $584,000 in assets from drug traffickers supplying vulnerable residents in the community.
Upon promotion to inspector, she was transferred to the Court and Detention Services Section, where she oversaw the Vancouver Jail and relationships with the courts. In 2021, she was assigned to command of District 2 in the Operations Division, where she was responsible for over 200 frontline officers, and led the roll out of new digital evidence management systems in the District.
She was promoted to superintendent in December 2021 and seconded as a Deputy Chief Officer with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC). In 2025, she was promoted to Deputy Chief in charge of the Operations Division.
Deputy Chief Laurin holds a bachelor of science with honours and a master’s degree in resource and environmental management from Simon Fraser University. She is the recipient of two Chief Constable’s Commendations. She enjoys spending time with husband, Mike Laurin, who is currently a staff sergeant at the Real Time Intelligence Centre.
Alison Laurin
Superintendent Lisa Byrne, O.O.M.
Superintendent Lisa Byrne has been a member of the Vancouver Police Department since 2000, becoming a superintendent in 2020.
She began her career in uniform in the Downtown Eastside, and has since worked as a detective in the Gang Crime Unit, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC, the Homicide Unit, and the Sex Crimes Unit.
Lisa is an experienced investigator with more than 15 years of experience in major case management. She was promoted to sergeant in 2014, and achieved Team Commander accreditation in 2015. Since that time, she has commanded two of the VPD’s largest and most successful multi-jurisdictional investigations including a sex crimes taskforce: Project Shield, and an anti-criminal organization taskforce, Project Tourniquet.
As a sergeant, Lisa was assigned to the Sex Crimes Unit and the Homicide Unit. She was promoted to staff sergeant in 2017 where she was assigned to the Gang Crime Unit. Upon promotion to inspector, she was assigned to the Court and Detention Services Section.
Lisa was the 2009 Police Officer of the year, has received two meritorious service awards from the Province of British Columbia, and is the recipient of eight VPD Commendations. In 2020, she was inducted by the Governor General of Canada into the Order of Merit of the Police Forces as an Officer.
In addition to being the past-president of the Police Mutual Benevolent Association (PMBA), Lisa volunteers her time to ensure the wellness of other members of the VPD and their families throughout the year.
Lisa is the daughter of a retired RCMP member, and was raised in rural Alberta. She holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Alberta.
Lisa lives in Burnaby and Whistler with her significant other, Steve, and their dog Lucy.
Lisa Byrne, O.O.M.
Senior Director Nancy Eng
Senior Director Nancy Eng is in charge of the Financial Services Section.
She joined the Vancouver Police Department in July 2005 as Controller, overseeing the budget, accounting and financial operations. On May 1, 2015, she became Senior Director in charge of Financial Services.
She obtained her bachelor of commerce degree from the University of British Columbia, with a major in accounting and management information systems. She is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia, having obtained her designation with the British Columbia Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Prior to joining the VPD, Senior Director Eng articled with Smythe Ratcliffe, a local firm of Chartered Accountants, before moving to the not-for-profit sector in 1995. She has held senior financial management positions as Controller with the Hospital Employees’ Union, the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia (OCABC) and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC), and Manager, Finance, with the British Columbia Housing Management Commission (BC Housing).
During her career, Senior Director Eng has gained extensive working knowledge in the development and implementation of sound financial and budgeting practices, policies and procedures, reporting and accountability processes, taxation, purchasing, payroll and strategic planning. She co-authored and produced a GST guide for social housing providers while at BC Housing, and led the OCABC in the administrative and financial transition of OCABC’s integration with the RCMP.
Senior Director Eng was part of the team that received a Chief Constable Unit Citation for the implementation of the Workforce Management System. She has also worked on several City of Vancouver and police agency committees regarding budgeting, accounting, financial reporting and purchasing issues.
Nancy Eng
Superintendent Shelley Horne
Superintendent Shelley Horne joined the Vancouver Police Department in 1996. She began her career working in Patrol District 4 and later completed assignments in the Planning Research & Audit Section, the Sex Crimes Unit, and the Domestic Violence and Criminal Harassment Unit. During these assignments, Superintendent Horne led numerous complex projects and investigations.
In 2014, Superintendent Horne was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the Professional Standards Section, where she led a high profile, external investigation, receiving a commendation from the Police Complaint Commissioner for her work on the file. She later returned to the Sex Crimes Unit to lead a team of detectives, while also supervising VPD detectives assigned to the Treehouse – Vancouver Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, an agency with a co-located multidisciplinary team focused on the intervention and prevention of child abuse.
In 2017, upon her promotion to staff sergeant, Superintendent Horne was assigned to the Human Resources Section, as the staff sergeant in charge of employee services for all VPD sworn members. In 2019, Superintendent Horne was promoted to inspector and returned to the Professional Standards Section serving as a designated Discipline Authority until December 2020, when she returned to the Investigation Division, becoming the Inspector in charge of the Special Investigation Section. In this role, Superintendent Horne led six units focused on the investigation of crimes involving intimate partner violence, sexual assault and exploitation, child abuse, high risk offenders, and criminal harassment. Superintendent Horne also served on several local and provincial committees focusing on the safety of women and children.
Superintendent Horne was promoted to superintendent in December 2021, and is presently in charge of Personnel Services.
Superintendent Horne holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of British Columbia, and is active in her community, currently volunteering her time serving on the board of a local youth sports organization.
Shelley Horne
Superintendent Tyrone Sideroff, M.O.M.
Superintendent Tyrone Sideroff oversees Information Services, which consists of eight specialty areas, including the Information Management Section, Information & Communications Technology, Information & Privacy Unit, Property and Forensic Storage Services, Facilities Services, Fleet Operations, Enterprise Risk Management Section, as well as the Planning, Research & Audit Section. These organizational areas encompass over 200 personnel, including many of the VPD’s specialized subject matter experts.
Tyrone was born, raised, and resides in Vancouver. He joined the VPD as a volunteer in 2000 and was hired in 2004. He spent the first decade of his career assigned to District 2 Patrol in East Vancouver. Tyrone then completed investigative assignments with the Property Crime Unit and on secondment with an international joint-forces RCMP drug project. In 2017, he served a principal role on the VPD’s Operational Review Project Team, which studied the Department’s long-term staffing needs and resulted in City Council approving an increase of 120 sworn and 52 civilian positions.
As a sergeant, Tyrone performed the legal support role as part of the Professional Standards Section. He subsequently played key roles on numerous major projects, including the VPD’s emergency operations activation in response to Covid-19. As the staff sergeant assigned to HR Operations, Tyrone led six units serving over 1,500 sworn members. Upon promotion to inspector in 2021, Tyrone remained in the Human Resources Section as the officer-in-charge. He led a blended team of sworn and civilian HR professionals responsible for 13 essential HR service areas, including member wellness and organizational resourcing, serving over 2,100 VPD employees.
Tyrone has remained active in the community throughout all of his VPD assignments, including maintaining close ties with the Community Crime Watch volunteer program where he began his career. He is the recipient of eight commendations, including two BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Valour and Meritorious Service, and he was named the 2010 Vancouver Police Officer of the Year as a frontline patrol officer. In 2023, Tyrone was appointed to Canada’s Order of Merit of the Police Forces – “a fellowship of honour recognizing the highest qualities of citizenship, service to Canada, to the police community, and to humanity at large.”
Tyrone Sideroff, M.O.M.
