The Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) will launch the next phase of its Police Academy expansion in May 2026, increasing recruit training to three cohorts of 144 recruits annually.
“Starting in May, JIBC’s Police Academy will exceed municipal police departments’ projected recruit training needs, building on the momentum of our September expansion,” said Len Goerke, President and CEO of JIBC, and former Chief of Police for the West Vancouver Police Department.
“Through ongoing collaboration with police partners, we have built a scalable model that meets growing demand while protecting the integrity and consistency of provincial training standards.”
Building the foundation for scalable training
JIBC’s ability to move to three cohorts of 144 recruits is the direct result of foundational work undertaken over the past two years. During that time, JIBC worked closely with all municipal police departments and government to respond to projected increases in recruit hiring, due to the establishment of the Surrey Police Services and municipal police department growth.
That collaboration resulted in the launch of the three cohorts of 96 model in September 2025, built directly on police agency multi-year recruit projections. The expansion was also supported by $4 million in provincial funding, which enabled JIBC to install five portable classroom buildings across its New Westminster and Maple Ridge campuses.
When municipal police departments advised JIBC that more seats were needed later that fall, JIBC was committed to meeting their needs.
“Because we had built 3x96 with scalability in mind, we were able to confidently advise police chiefs that we would move to 3x144 by May 2026.” said Jennifer Keyes, Director of JIBC’s Police Academy.
JIBC formally confirmed their expansion plans to municipal police chiefs, their governance boards and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General in January 2026.
A proven record of responsible expansion
JIBC looks forward to welcoming 144 recruits on May 11 as the first cohort under the 3x144 model begins training. “With this expansion, JIBC will be positioned to train up to 432 recruits annually for municipal police departments across British Columbia, including Vancouver, Victoria and Surrey,” added Keyes.
Over the past decade, JIBC’s Police Academy has expanded by 500 per cent, demonstrating a proven ability to scale responsibly while maintaining rigorous training standards. As policing evolves and communities grow, JIBC will continue working closely with municipal police departments and government partners to ensure recruit training remains responsive and aligned with provincial standards.