Friday March 6, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 2:55 pm PST]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Two new police training sites have been approved in Vancouver and Victoria. Training in alignment with the curriculum and training outcomes of the Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) will begin in those locations starting May 2026.
The new satellite campuses were announced today by Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger, who outlined the increase in JIBC seats from 96 to 144. That’s a total of 432 training seats per year post-expansion (at May 2026), said Krieger today.
JIBC accepts three cohorts per year.
- The Victoria site will provide spaces for the Victoria Police Department and recruits from other south Vancouver Island municipal police departments.
- The Vancouver site will provide spaces for the Vancouver Police Department. The sites have been approved for a two-year basis to address the immediate surge in demand throughout B.C.
- The New Westminster JIBC Police Academy is expanding its training capacity to further meet demand.
That brings the graduation rate to 432 new police officer graduates from the JIBC each year, it was stated in today’s government announcement to the press in Victoria this afternoon.
The new setup opens up capacity to support the needs of the ongoing Surrey Police Service transition, and police departments throughout the province.
Changing communities:
“The needs in communities are changing and growing,” said Minister Krieger with regarding to policing and public safety.
Municipal police departments throughout British Columbia will now be able to train more recruits faster with the aim of enhancing public safety in communities across the province.
Today Vancouver Police Chief Rai said there is high demand for more officers in the Fraser Valley area and Surrey.
Victoria Police Chief Wilson outlined the benefits of officers training locally in their own community or region.
Two-year start phase:
The police training sites will operate for an initial two-year basis and then be reviewed.
The province requires that the current delivery model at the JIBC will be maintained, with no change to instructors, seat allotments and tuition costs.
Funding:
The new site will be funded by the participating police agencies. The Province has been assured by the Vancouver and Victoria police departments that the province will not be approached for funding and that municipal police budgets will not be negatively impacted.
In Victoria, Police Chief Fiona Wilson says the savings for not having to send trainees over to New Westminster on the mainland (including their accommodations and per diems) will cover what’s needed to operate the new academy in Victoria on Vancouverr Island. She points out that police academies and the recruits pay a portion of the training fee.
As for Vancouver’s setup, Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said he is highly aware of police funding issues “across North America” and said his police force “made contingencies in the operating budget” to ensure that the new training academy would be self-funded. The City of Vancouver is, meanwhile, providing a one-time setup cost.
The BC Provincial Budget 2025 invests $235 million in new funding over the next three years to improve community safety through various public safety and justice programs. This investment is increasing access to the justice system and supporting court operations, including sheriff recruitment, legal aid and Crown counsel. It is also making sure people have the support and access to the mental-health and addiction treatment they need, and providing police with more tools to target robbery, shoplifting, theft and property-related offences.
In September 2025, the Province expanded the training volume at the JIBC Police Academy by 50% through an investment of $4 million in new funding in Budget 2025. That increased space in the three cohorts per year from 64 to 96 recruits, 288 recruits annually.
Training and learning:
Victoria Police Chief Wilson called the announcement a historic development with a focus on high quality training, a modern learning environment, and preparing officers for “the complex realities” of today’s policing.
Basic police recruit training will happen at the Victoria satellite campus over 10 months of training. She says this “evens the playing field” for applicants who have a wide range of family and lifestyle situations.
Vacancies:
Vancouver Police Chief Rai said that there are about 300 police position vacancies — including a combination of ‘hard vacancies” and “soft vacancies” (injured or temporarily off) — approximately half and half between the two categories.
The quality of applicants and recruits in process is promising, Rai explained, adding that policing in BC is changing including addressing population growth and the complex needs of cities.
JIBC:
Len Goerke, president and CEO, Justice Institute of BC, addressed media at today’s press conference.
“Our role has always been to ensure police recruit training in British Columbia remains rigorous, consistent, and responsive to changing needs,” said Goerke.
“The Province’s approach introduces additional flexibility, while safeguarding the rigorous standards that define JIBC’s police recruit training.”
Beginning in May 2026, the JIBC will increase police recruit training to three cohorts of 144 recruits annually, with another 50% increase funded by JIBC.
Over the past decade, the JIBC has increased police recruit training capacity by 500%, the province stated today in their news release.
Some JIBC courses are held at the new Royal Roads University (RRU) John Horgan campus in Langford which opened in September 2025.
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