Howard Tran

Superintendent Tran joined the Vancouver Police Department in 1997 and has worked in a wide variety of assignments. As a constable, he was assigned to District Three, the Crime Surveillance Unit, the Recruiting Unit, and the Robbery, Assault, and Arson Unit.

He was promoted to sergeant in 2009 and assigned to District One. Subsequent assignments included the Professional Standards Section and the Youth Services Section, where he was assigned the mental health portfolio. He established the Mental Health Unit and operationalized the Assertive Community Treatment and Assertive Outreach Teams.

Superintendent Tran was promoted to staff sergeant in 2013 and remained in Youth Services. He subsequently became the full-time acting inspector in 2014 and was promoted to inspector in 2015, remaining assigned to Youth Services. In January of 2018, Superintendent Tran was transferred to the North Command as a Duty Officer, and in 2019 became the Commanding Officer of District Four.

Upon being promoted to superintendent at the end of 2020, Superintendent Tran accepted his new and current assignment overseeing North Command in Operations. He is in charge of multiple portfolios including: Patrol District One, Patrol District Two, Court and Detention Services Section, Community Services Section, the Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenous Relations Section, as well as the Car 10 Duty Officers.

Superintendent Tran serves on a number of boards related to his work with youth and mental health: the Pulling Together Canoe Society, the Boys and Girls Club of South Coast BC, the KidSafe Society, and the Community Legal Assistance Society.

He has participated in a number of advisory councils and steering committees related to mental health, addiction, and youth justice, most notably: as the co-chair of “Project Link” – VPD-VCH Steering Committee on Mental Health, the Mayor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Addiction, the BC Alliance on Mental Health and Addiction, the Advisory Council to the BC Representative for Children and Youth, the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Justice, and the Douglas College Youth Justice Program Advisory Committee.

He holds a bachelor of arts (economics) from the University of Victoria, and is the recipient of three Chief Constable’s Unit Citations, one Deputy Chief Constable Citation, and one Inspector’s Commendation.