Vancouver Police Training Academy officially opens

The Vancouver Police Training Academy officially opened today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Woodward’s building attended by more than 275 guests and community members.

Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Chief Steve Rai said the academy marks a new chapter for the department and for the training of recruits who will serve Vancouver’s policing needs. It is the VPD’s first in-house training program since 1978, allowing recruits to be developed in Vancouver from their entry into the organization through graduation and the start of their VPD careers.

Forty Class One recruits began studying earlier this week at the facility at 351 Abbott Street in the Downtown Eastside. They are to complete training and begin work in the city on June 25, 2027. A further 40 Class Two recruits are scheduled to begin studies on January 18, 2027.

The 30,000-square-foot, three-floor academy was first announced in February 2026 and received provincial approval in March. Construction began June 1 in space formerly occupied by London Drugs. The City of Vancouver provided $4 million for the work: $2.8 million for the establishment of District 5 and $1.2 million for the academy. Additional costs are fully funded within the approved VPD budget.

Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services Terry Yung said training recruits in the city will expose them to the operational environment, diverse communities and public-safety challenges they will face during their careers. Mayor Ken Sim said the location was selected to enhance safety, stability and community in the Downtown Eastside, Gastown, Chinatown and surrounding areas.

The academy includes a virtual-reality room for high-pressure policing scenarios, classrooms, a report-writing room, a dedicated police radio channel, a gym, athletic therapy space, massage, physiotherapy and first-aid rooms, and a cafeteria. Nine full-time VPD officer instructors will teach a provincially approved specialized curriculum, while another nine officer instructors at the Tactical Training Centre will provide use-of-force, firearms and other skills training. VPD trainers will provide driving instruction at Mission Raceway. Recruits will use laptops and learn VPD systems and major case-management principles from their first day. The VPD Museum will also move into the Woodward’s building.