Victoria Police Proposes Temporary Training Academy for Recruits

The Victoria Police Department (VicPD) is seeking provincial approval to establish a temporary training academy for police recruits on Southern Vancouver Island. This initiative aims to expand training capacity and address staffing shortages in the region. According to VicPD Chief Fiona Wilson, the proposed academy would operate as a satellite campus for the Justice Institute of B.C. (JIBC), which oversees training for municipal police recruits on the mainland.

In an interview with CTV News, Wilson emphasized the importance of maintaining close ties with the JIBC in terms of both oversight and curriculum. “It’s really in an effort for us to increase the availability of recruit seats over a temporary, short-term basis here on the Island,” she stated. The proposal was submitted on October 3, 2023, following an invitation from the public safety ministry for municipal departments to apply for a pilot project involving satellite campuses. The Surrey Police Service also submitted a similar proposal the following day.

Training Standards and Challenges

The establishment of new training facilities presents various challenges, as highlighted by Michel Legault, a criminal justice instructor at Camosun College. He pointed out that maintaining consistent training standards is crucial. “We’re dealing with standards of training that need to be kept,” Legault explained, stressing the need for officers to possess the same core competencies regardless of their location.

The provincial government’s pilot project builds on recent efforts to enhance the JIBC’s training capacity. Nina Krieger, the public safety minister, announced funding last week that will allow the JIBC to increase its annual training capacity to 288 recruits, a significant rise from the previous 192 recruits. “We know that policing is a difficult profession and that staffing shortages can impact service delivery to communities,” Krieger noted. “That’s why it’s so critical that this investment ensures we have enough officers on the ground to be prepared to meet today’s challenges.”

The proposed training academy represents a proactive step by the VicPD to address the need for more trained officers while fostering a workforce equipped to handle the demands of modern policing. As the project moves forward, its success will hinge on maintaining high training standards and effectively integrating local recruits into the larger framework of provincial police training.