Vancouver – The Vancouver Police Department announced today the creation of the Vancouver Police Training Academy – Centre of Excellence in the Woodward’s building at 351 Abbott Street.
“The issue of municipal police training in B.C. was first raised in 2017,” said Chief Constable Steve Rai. “Nearly a decade later, the core challenges remain.” He noted that the current Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) Police Academy model still does not meet Vancouver’s complex policing needs.
“Several formal reviews of the JIBC Police Academy have highlighted the issues we’re talking about (We Must Do Better: Best Practices Review of Municipal Police Training in British Columbia and Municipal Police Training in British Columbia – Needs Assessment). The Province invited submissions for municipal police departments to run their own satellite police academies. We’ve been waiting for the Province’s decision for almost five months.”
Although the JIBC has increased its recruit cohort size, Chief Constable Rai emphasized that the expansion remains far below the VPD’s training demand. As a result, the VPD continues to provide extensive remedial training, including approximately eight weeks of combined pre‑ and post‑academy instruction for every new recruit.
Contemporary policing requires specialized skills, advanced scenario-based learning, and expanded instructional capacity. The Vancouver Police Training Academy will provide advanced training for currently serving VPD officers and will also bridge the gap to prepare recent recruit graduates for policing in Vancouver.
The location of the new academy was specifically chosen to bring greater police presence to the surrounding area.
“We chose the Woodward’s site to reinforce our commitment to the Downtown Eastside community. The VPD is part of this community and we want our training to reflect that commitment,” said Chief Constable Rai.
“Residents and businesses across Vancouver have been clear: they want stability, predictability, and to feel safe,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “Locating this new training academy in the Woodward’s complex will help anchor daily activity and presence in the heart of our city, contributing to safety, stability, and long-term renewal in Gastown and the surrounding communities.”
The Vancouver Police Training Academy – Centre of Excellence is a practical, scalable, long-term solution. It will address identified deficiencies, align with provincial certification requirements, and reflect Vancouver’s unique policing environment.
“The people of Vancouver deserve a police service that is thoroughly prepared, well-trained, and ready for the challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Chief Constable Rai. “This Centre of Excellence reinforces our commitment to public safety, now and into the future.”
