The money would be used for capital improvements, equipment and related setup costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe satellite VPD Police Training Academy, if provincially approved, is expected to be cost-neutral through redeployment within the VPD\u2019s existing authorized strength,\u201d Montague wrote in his motion.<\/p>\n
During Wednesday\u2019s meeting, Montague noted the proposed academy would go in the old London Drugs location that closed due to ongoing problems with theft and related crime.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat space will be empty for a very, very long time,\u201d Montague said, unless the training academy takes over the site.<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/80f9aa75d54f42a4586844cfea259543.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
The old London Drugs location inside the Vancouver Woodward\u2019s building on Jan. 7, 2026.<\/p>\n
All rookie municipal police officers are currently trained at the Justice Institute of B.C. in New Westminster at a cost of $50,000 per recruit.<\/p>\n
Montague claims \u201cthe number of recruit training seats available annually at the JIBC Police Academy is insufficient to meet the combined demand of independent municipal police services across the province, creating a structural training bottleneck that limits the ability of departments to offset retirements, attrition, and approved staffing growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis training capacity constraint has materially affected the Vancouver Police Department\u2019s ability to onboard new officers, contributing to chronic staffing pressures, increased overtime expenditures, operational inefficiencies, and impacts on officer wellness and front line service delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Montague\u2019s motion comes the same month the Vancouver police board told council that the training academy was a \u201cpriority initiative\u201d, alongside the creation of a new district within the DTES.<\/p>\n
Mayor Ken Sim had earlier sent a letter to the provincial government seeking its consent to set up the homegrown training academy.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo date, despite repeated requests, the province has not provided the city, the Vancouver Police Department, or the Vancouver police board with a clear response or timeline for a decision regarding approval of a VPD police training academy,\u201d Montague wrote in his motion, which was approved by seven votes to four.<\/p>\n
Coun. Rebecca Bligh, who opposed the motion, noted the VPD\u2019s annual operating budget was recently increased by 10 per cent.<\/p>\n
City staff have been asked to report to council on what steps are needed to establish the academy.<\/p>\n