Officer in Charge, Operational Readiness and
Response & Protective Technical Services Section, RCMP
Raised in Malaysia, Mr. Baltej Singh Dhillon and his family move to British Columbia in 1983 after which they settled in Surrey. He studied criminology, and though initially interested in practicing law, he volunteered with the RCMP and acted as an interpreter so that the RCMP could communicate with recent Asian immigrants.
In 1988, Mr. Dhillon decided to formally apply to join the RCMP. Though he met all the entrance requirements, he encountered one significant problem: the dress code forbad beards and wearing a turban in place of the uniform hat. In 1989, Mr. Dhillon appealed to the RCMP Commissioner, who recommended removing the ban on beards and turbans to the federal government. After months of debate, the Brian Mulroney government announced new changes to the RCMP dress code in March of 1990 — including the freedom for observant Sikhs to wear beards and turbans. As a result, Mr. Dhillon joined the RCMP, trained in Regina and graduated to active duty in 1991.
Mr. Baltej Singh Dhillon’s career with the RCMP started off as a Polygraph Examiner Sergeant. He then took on the position of Non Commissioned Officer in charge of Operations, RCMP- Provincial Intelligence Centre of BC, followed by the position of Non Commissioned Officer in charge of Intelligence Section, RCMP – Federal Serious Organized Crime. Presently, he holds the position of Officer in Charge, RCMP – Operational Readiness and Response & Protective Technical Services Section.
Mr. Dhillon was also awarded the honorary degree of the Doctor of Lawa by Kwantlen Polytech University in May 2014.
Awards presented to Mr. Dhillon :
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Chancellory of Honours, April 2012
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Chancellory of Honours, June 2002