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. He further continued his education by earning a Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of the Fraser Valley. 

He is the Officer commanding the Operations Division. The division includes all four districts of Vancouver; Diversity, Community, and Indigenous Relations Section; Court and Detention Services; Emergency Response Section, which includes Canine Unit and the Marine Unit; Traffic Section; and the Emergency Operational Planning Section. 

He has worked in several capacities as a Superintendent, including: Human Resources, Professional Standards, and Training and Recruiting. As an Inspector, he oversaw 200 police officers in District 2, which includes the Downtown Eastside community. As a Staff Sergeant with a communications background and connections with the media, he was assigned to the Integrated Riot Investigation Team which pursued charges against rioters involved in the Vancouver hockey riot. 

Deputy Chow is currently the Co-Chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Law Amendments Committee. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee on Provincial Police Standards where his extensive operational, investigative, and administrative police experience is relied upon to review, analyze, and provide ongoing feedback on crucial policing and public safety matters. 

Deputy Chow currently serves on the Justice Canada Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to Justice. He is also a past president of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police.