BURSTA longtime Vancouver Police Department officer has been charged with multiple counts of fraud, theft, and breach of trust following a comprehensive two-and-a-half-year covert investigation that found 19 victims had lost a total of $3 million.
The Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) chief constable announced more details Friday morning (Sept. 4) about the investigation in Vancouver Friday (Sept. 4).
Kalwinder (Kal) Singh Dosanjh has been with the Vancouver Police Department for more than 25 years and has served in many roles, including senior detective in the Financial Crimes Unit and most recently in the traffic section.
He was charged Thursday (Sept. 3) with four counts of fraud, four counts of theft over $5,000 and breach of trust by a public officer. A spokesperson for the B.C. Prosecution Service said the alleged offences occurred between Dec. 8, 2017 and July 25, 2025 “at or near Vancouver, Surrey, and/or other locations in British Columbia.”
The majority of the victims are members of the community and investors of Dosanjh and his co-accused, Sarabjit Singh Gill, police said. Both men are Surrey residents.
Police said Gill and Dosanjh were business associates at the time of the alleged offences and that the charges relate to “housing developments.”
Raj said the “protection of the victims” remains a top priority.
“We want them to know – we hear you. Your voice matters, and you have made a difference not just for yourselves, but for the safety of our communities,” VPD chief Steve Rai said. “We recognize that there may be additional individuals and victims with information about Mr. Dosanjh’s alleged conduct who have not yet come forward.”
Police have created a dedicated phone line, and they ask anyone with information to contact investigators at 604-717-2601.
A reporter asked the chief if Dosanjh “preyed upon members of the Sunni community,” to which he responded, “That would be fair to say. When you speak the same language, sometimes it’s easier.”
Dosanjh was arrested in a “controlled traffic stop” in Surrey Thursday and later appeared at the Justice Centre at 5 p.m. He was released from custody on several conditions, which include that he is no longer allowed to “act as a police officer and has no authority or powers of a police officer.” Police also took his “service weapon.” His next court appearance is at Vancouver Provincial Court on Sept. 17 to fix a date.
None of these allegations have been proven in court.
The investigation started in December of 2023; the Vancouver Police Department received information from multiple victims alleging criminal activity involving Dosanjh, VPD chief Steve Rai said.
Dosanjh was suspended Thursday evening (Sept. 4), and the chief has recommended to the Vancouver Police Board to suspend him without pay. This is typically about a 30-day process, VPD Supt. Trevor Burmachuk said.
The B.C. Civil forfeiture office has also been involved in the investigation. The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner (OPCC) was also notified at the start of the investigation.
“The arrest of a VPD officer strikes at the heart of the public trust we work hard every day to earn and maintain,” Rai said. “Incidents like this are profoundly troubling and inconsistent with the values of our organization, and demand a thorough, transparent, and unwavering response. These allegations are deeply troubling, not only because of their seriousness, but because they have the potential to undermine the trust that our members work very hard to build and maintain with the public.”
Police could not say whether any of Dosanjh’s past cases will be compromised, but said they were looking into it.
This is the first time Dosanjh has faced criminal charges, but court records also show several civil lawsuits against Dosanjh.
Reporters questioned if there was a conflict of interest in the VPD conducting the investigation.
Rai said that an investigation this large and complex takes “a lot of resources and expertise,” and in B.C. that is either the VPD or the RCMP.
“We had discussions with the RCMP and with you know what’s going on in the region with transition bodies and resources. It was determined with collective judgment that we would maintain the file for the expertise required and the resources,” Raj said.
At this time, investigators do not believe that Dosanjh was in uniform when the “crimes were committed.”
Police also executed search warrants Thursday (Sept. 3) at the charity in Surrey that Dosanjh started, KidsPlay Foundation. Police confirmed that some of the charges relate to KidsPlay, but would not expand further.
Dosanjh founded KidsPlay in 2015, after spending 15 years of his career on patrol in the Downtown Eastside. During that time, he saw many kids from underprivileged backgrounds who were not afforded the same opportunities as kids elsewhere in the city.
Dosanjh wanted this to change and to be a part of that change, so he started running organized sports programs under the police athletic league after work for inner-city kids.
A Surrey resident, Dosanjh wanted to bring what he started in Vancouver to Surrey. With that, KidsPlay was born as a vehicle to help keep kids away from the lifestyle of drugs, gangs and violence.
KidsPlay Foundation has locations across Canada and several around the world, including India, Colombia and Uganda. The organization runs a number of different programs, from sports camps, educational forums, mentorship, community patrols, and more.
Dosanjh has won various awards for his work with KidsPlay, including King Charles III Coronation and Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medals.
His wife, Sandy Dosanjh, was running for city councillor with the Conservative Party of Surrey until Friday (Sept. 4) when the party annouced she is no longer running.
“As Sandy is no longer a candidate for public office, we ask that her privacy be respected at this time so that she is able to focus on her family,” reads a statement from the party Friday (Sept. 4).
-With files from Lauren Collins
READ MORE: Fraud, theft charges for Vancouver cop who runs Surrey foundation for kids