At the invitation of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Surrey Police Service (SPS) will be submitting a proposal today to establish a satellite police academy in Surrey to provide surge capacity for police recruit training. SPS’s proposal will benefit the residents and businesses of Surrey and has the support of the City of Surrey and the Surrey Police Board. The Ministry had requested submissions from police agencies interested in participating in a potential pilot program for satellite recruit training. 

A police academy in Surrey will provide training for at least 90 recruits per year, utilizing SPS’s existing 65,000 square foot training centre, certified instructors, and in-house leaders who are experienced with the Justice Institute of BC’s (JIBC) training curriculum and practices. Similar satellite training models have been successfully running in police agencies in Alberta and Ontario, and in universities across the country.

“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 who are dealing with unprecedented demand for police resources and attrition,” said Chief Constable Norm 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 BC.”

Surrey’s policing transition is the largest in Canadian history, with SPS hiring over 800 police officers over a seven-year period (2021-2027), with approximately 250 remaining to be hired, not taking into account the continuing growth and needs of the city.  In addition, it is estimated that the City of Surrey will soon be the largest city in BC. 

“Police training is a critical component of maintaining strong and effective public safety across British Columbia,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “As our province and communities continue to grow, ensuring adequate training capacity for new recruits will be essential. The City of Surrey supports ongoing collaboration between all partners, including the Surrey Police Service and the Province, to make certain that police agencies have the resources and training they need to serve the public effectively.”

“Surrey has the highest need in the province for police recruit training and Surrey Police Service is well-positioned to provide a satellite training centre to meet surge capacity training needs for recruits,” said Harley Chappell, Chair of the Surrey Police Board. “This will allow us to ensure that we can continue to meet the policing and public safety needs of Surrey citizens.”