Victoria Police Seeks Approval for Temporary Training Academy

The Victoria Police Department is pursuing provincial approval to launch a temporary training academy for recruits on Southern Vancouver Island. This initiative aims to create a satellite campus for the Justice Institute of B.C. (JIBC), which oversees training for municipal police recruits. According to VicPD Chief Fiona Wilson, the academy would closely align with JIBC in 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,” Wilson explained in an interview.

The proposal was submitted to the provincial government on October 3, 2023, following an invitation from the Ministry of Public Safety for municipal departments to apply for a pilot project aimed at establishing satellite training facilities. Notably, the Surrey Police Service also submitted a similar proposal the following day.

Wilson’s initiative comes amid ongoing discussions about the training and readiness of police recruits. Michel Legault, a criminal justice instructor at Camosun College, highlighted the complexities involved in establishing new training facilities. “We’re dealing with standards of training that need to be kept,” he noted. Legault emphasized the importance of maintaining core competencies to ensure that officers possess uniform specialized skills, regardless of their posting location.

The provincial government’s pilot project builds on recent efforts to expand JIBC’s training capacity. Just last week, Nina Krieger, the Minister of Public Safety, announced funding that will enable the academy to train 288 recruits annually, an increase from the previous capacity of 192 recruits. “We know that policing is a difficult profession and that staffing shortages can impact service delivery to communities,” Krieger stated. “That’s why it’s so critical that this investment is ensuring that we have enough officers on the ground to be prepared to meet today’s challenges.”

As the Victoria Police Department awaits approval for its proposal, the initiative reflects a broader commitment to enhancing training opportunities for law enforcement in British Columbia. By establishing a training academy on Southern Vancouver Island, the department aims not only to address immediate staffing needs but also to ensure that new recruits are well-prepared for the complexities of modern policing.