Updated on Oct. 10, 2025

David Fleugel, chief constable, Port Moody Police Department –

“Municipal chiefs of police and police agencies are appreciative of the investment by the Province of British Columbia in training new officers at the B.C. police academy embedded in the Justice Institute of British Columbia. It was clear with regional population growth and the ongoing heavy demands placed on police, we needed more capacity to train a greater number of new police officers. We know that an increase in the number of training seats will translate into increased public safety.”

Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster-Coquitlam –

“Our government is committed to building safer communities, and that starts with ensuring that police departments have the resources they need to do the job effectively. Expanding the police academy is a vital step toward strengthening public safety throughout our province and ensures that officers are well prepared to meet the changing needs of the communities they serve.”

Jessie Sunner, Minister of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills –

“Post-secondary education and training works best when they are responsive to the needs of people in B.C. The B.C. Labour Market Outlook forecasts 4,660 job openings for police officers over the next 10 years. This government is committed to meeting the needs of the people of this province, and by expanding police training at the Justice Institute of B.C., we’re meeting the moment, preparing skilled officers who will keep our communities safe today and into the future.”

Micayla Hayes, president, BC Association of Police Boards –

“BC Association of Police Boards welcomes the Province’s decision to support increased funding and additional seats for the JIBC. Boards across the province recognize that the cost, capacity and curriculum of the JIBC directly impact public safety and that we need an abundance of well-trained and resilient police officers to keep our communities safe and our policing model effective and sustainable. We hope this signals the start of an ongoing commitment to meaningful and sustained support.”

Paul Choi, MLA for Burnaby South-Metrotown –

“As a proud graduate of the police academy at the Justice Institute of BC myself, I know first-hand the vital role this institution plays in shaping the men and women who keep our communities safe. Expanding training capacity means more well-prepared officers on the front lines, ready to serve with professionalism and integrity. This investment is not just in the academy, it’s an investment in the safety and well-being of people across British Columbia.”

Tom Wolff von Gudenberg, president, BC Association of Municipal Police Chiefs –

“The BC Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police welcomes this investment as a meaningful step forward. It reflects our shared commitment to building well-trained, professional municipal police services and marks the beginning of the work required to address the resourcing challenges facing agencies across British Columbia. Sustained and strategic investment in recruitment and training will be essential to ensuring that police services have the capacity and tools they need to meet the growing demands of public safety.”

• The JIBC police academy expansion took effect in September 2025.
• Before the expansion, the maximum class size of the police academy was limited to 64 recruits with three classes offered per year.
• The increased capacity allows for 96 recruits to be trained in each of the three classes.
• The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is forecasting 4,660 job openings for police officers over the next 10 years.
• The Province provided $230 million to support the provincial police service to hire 256 police officers over three years.
• A total of 231 of the 256 positions have been staffed and deployed to date, with the remaining positions to be hired by spring 2026.
• The Province continues work to support people with concurrent mental-health and addiction challenges, including secure and dignified care for people under the Mental Health Act.
  • This includes 10 new beds located within Surrey Pretrial Services Centre to offer secure care for individuals in custody throughout the province and 18 new beds to support secure long-term care for people in the community using free-standing space previously allocated to Alouette Correctional Centre for Women.