The Vancouver Police Department says it’s set to increase its recruitment and deployment of new officers with the creation of a training centre downtown.
Speaking to media Thursday morning, Chief Const. Steve Rai announced the Vancouver Police Training Academy Centre of Excellence will be installed in the Woodward’s building at 351 Abbott Street — the former home of the London Drugs retail location that served many Downtown Eastside residents.
Mayor Ken Sim says the location represents “history,” “complexity,” and the challenges of the surrounding areas, including the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, and Gastown.
“This area has always mattered to Vancouver, and today we’re taking a concrete step to strengthen its future,” said Sim.
“City council approved up to $4 million in one-time funding to support two critical public safety initiatives, which include funds that established the VPD Training Academy here.”
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Sim says the new academy will help diminish a “structural bottleneck” affecting the department.
“When onboarding slows down, the staffing pressures increase,” said the mayor.
“That means that more overtime costs, strain on our officers, and then impacts on frontline services.”
By reallocating funds currently paid for external recruit training, Sim claims the academy will save approximately $270,000 in 2026 alone.
Rai explained that the new facility will be used to conduct specialty training. For new recruits, he says the facility will be used for pre-training, but prospective officers will still be required to pass through the Justice Institute of B.C. until the provincial government gives the VPD the appropriate licence.
The VPD did not provide an exact timeline for when the facility would begin operating.