Two new police training sites will open in Vancouver and Victoria to train recruits faster.
In an announcement on Friday afternoon, the B.C. government says that the two sites will be satellites of the Justice Institute Police Academy in New Westminster.
“We are ensuring that police departments have the well-trained officers they need on the ground to keep people and businesses safe in communities across the province,” Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General said in a release on Friday afternoon.
“A Vancouver and Victoria-based police training site builds on our $4-million investment to expand seat capacity at the Justice Institute British Columbia (JIBC). Together, these initiatives will ensure that the surge in municipal recruit training demands throughout British Columbia are fully met, now and into the future.”
The government says that the two new training sites will begin operating this year to address a surge in demand.
The Victoria site will train recruits for the Victoria Police Department and other South Vancouver Island municipal police departments.
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The Vancouver site will train recruits for the Vancouver Police Department.
Last year, the B.C. government began accepting proposals from municipal police departments that were interested in establishing their own satellite training academies.
In February, Vancouver police announced that it is creating the Vancouver Police Training Academy Centre of Excellence in the Woodward’s building at 351 Abbott St.
In a statement following the announcement on Friday, the Vancouver police said that the decision to grant the VPD Police Academy represents a significant milestone for public safety in Vancouver and across the province.
The organization called it a major step forward.
“The VPD Police Academy is intended to enhance the essential work of the Justice Institute of British Columbia, helping ensure future police officers are prepared for the evolving demands of modern policing,” Vancouver Police Chief Const. Steve Rai said in a statement. “The JIBC will remain an important institution for police education in British Columbia.”
Last October, the B.C. government announced it is expanding space at the Justice Institute, enabling it to train 50 per cent more recruits.
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