Ms Edwina Lau joined the Hong Kong Police Force in 1984. Throughout her service, she has served in a wide spectrum of posts encompassing criminal intelligence, criminal investigation, criminal policy and support, narcotics, commercial crime, human resources management, training and frontline policing including divisional, district and regional command. With her expertise in fraud investigations, she assisted the Social Welfare Department in tackling the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Fraud in 2004.

During her tenure as an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ms Lau took up various posts including the Regional Commander of New Territories South, Assistant Commissioner (Personnel) and the Director of Police College where she was responsible for all training-related programmes of the 30,000-strong Police Force in Hong Kong. In March 2019, Ms Lau was promoted to the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police and took up the post of the Director of Management Services overseeing the work of the Service Quality Wing and the Information Systems Wing.

Ms Lau holds a Bachelor's Degree in Policing, a Bachelor's Degree in Laws and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. During her career, she has attended various development courses organized by the Mainland and overseas training institutes including the Harvard University, Beijing University, Australian Institute of Police Management and the Chinese Academy of Governance. She was awarded the Police Meritorious Service Medal in 2015.