Who is Kal Dosanjh? VPD officer facing charges started youth charity, featured in reality TV show

Kal Dosanjh is pictured in this 2012 file photo patrolling the streets of the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver. Photo by Jenelle Schneider /PROVINCE

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A veteran, high-profile Vancouver police officer who has been charged with theft, fraud and breach of trust is known for his charity work and efforts to keep youth away from gangs, drugs and crime.

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Kalwinder (Kal) Dosanjh, 50, was recognized just last year for his foundation work with the King Charles III Coronation Medal. It’s one of more than a dozen recognitions Dosanjh received for his charity and police work, including a Chief Constable’s Commendation, according to his LinkedIn profile.

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In a TEDx talk Dosanjh gave in 2023, he said more than 100,000 kids had been through the Kids Play foundation’s programs free of charge, and it had expanded to other cities in Canada, and internationally, to Colombia and India.

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He told the TEDx audience he was inspired to start the foundation after working in the city’s Downtown Eastside and watching young people being devastated by drugs.

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“I realized we need to do something different, something better to help these kids,” he said at the time.

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The foundation’s website, which was online on Thursday, had been shut down by Friday.

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At a briefing Friday morning, Vancouver Police said searches included the address of the charity.

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None of the allegations against Dosanjh have been proven in court.

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Dosanjh’s wife, Sandy Dosanjh, said outside their house in Surrey on Thursday that her husband was innocent.

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“We haven’t committed any crime. I and Kal, we’ve been serving this community over 10 years now at our own time,” Sandy Dosanjh told Omni News.

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The Conservative Party of Surrey announced on Friday that Sandy Dosanjh, who was running for a seat as a city councillor, was no longer a candidate.

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On Thursday, she suggested the police investigation was related to her “standing up as a councillor because maybe there are people who doesn’t want to disclose what’s going on behind the scenes.”

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According to annual reports filed with the Canada Revenue Agency, which are available publicly, the Kids Play Youth Foundation raised more than $1.6 million in the past five years through donations and from some government grants. Just under $560,000 of that money went to expenses, including compensation, office supplies and travel, according to the filings.

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The last annual report was filed for the period ending on May 31, 2025.

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Dosanjh started his career as a police officer in 2000, and had worked in uniform on the street and as a detective. He has also served in the traffic section, the domestic violence unit, and the financial crime unit, according to his LinkedIn profile.

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At the Thursday briefing, Vancouver Police said Dosanjh’s most recent position had been as a motorcycle officer in the traffic section. He’s been suspended with pay, but the force has applied to the Vancouver police board to suspend his pay, a decision process that takes about 30 days.