Surrey, B.C. – The Surrey Police Service (SPS) has announced that it will be submitting a proposal to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General to establish a satellite police academy in Surrey, aimed at expanding training capacity for new police recruits across the province.
The proposed academy would provide training for at least 90 recruits annually, utilizing SPS’s 65,000-square-foot training facility, certified instructors, and in-house leadership experienced with the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) curriculum.
SPS’s proposal — supported by both the City of Surrey and the Surrey Police Board — comes in response to the Ministry’s invitation for police agencies to participate in a pilot program for satellite recruit training.
Chief Constable Norm Lipinski said the initiative would help address growing demand for police training as agencies across B.C. face resource challenges.
“The recent announcement of expanded seats at the JIBC Police Academy is welcome news, however this expanded model will still not meet the needs of Surrey Police Service and many other police agencies,” said Chief Lipinski. “By utilizing our existing Surrey Police Training Centre and in-house instructors to train SPS recruits, the JIBC will be able to better serve the needs of other police agencies in B.C.”
The Surrey Police Service continues to lead Canada’s largest municipal policing transition, with over 800 officers to be hired between 2021 and 2027. Approximately 250 positions remain to be filled, as Surrey’s rapid growth increases demand for policing resources.
Mayor Brenda Locke expressed strong support for the proposal, emphasizing the importance of building training capacity to maintain public safety across the province.
“Police training is a critical component of maintaining strong and effective public safety,” said Mayor Locke. “As our province and communities continue to grow, ensuring adequate training capacity for new recruits will be essential.”
Harley Chappell, Chair of the Surrey Police Board, echoed the need for local training.
“Surrey has the highest need in the province for police recruit training and SPS is well-positioned to provide a satellite training centre to meet surge capacity needs,” said Chappell. “This will allow us to continue meeting the policing and public safety needs of Surrey citizens.”
If approved, the Surrey-based academy would operate as part of a pilot program, modeled after successful satellite training systems already in place in Alberta, Ontario, and universities across Canada.