There’s an opportunity here and we should take full advantage of it: Councillor Linda Annis
Surrey, B.C. (July 20, 2023): Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis wants Surrey to become home to a new provincial police training academy and centre of excellence.
“Now that the decision has been made to move forward with the Surrey Police Service, it makes good sense to jump in with both feet and push for a police training academy and centre of policing excellence right here in Surrey,” said Annis. “The simple fact is that while the Justice Institute does a good job, it doesn’t have the capacity or scope to graduate the increasing number of new officers required by municipal police departments around the province. Having a new training academy here in Surrey that is both modern, and able to grow as policing needs change, makes good sense. In addition, it would mean a significant new employer for our growing community and would fit in well with our existing post-secondary institutions such as SFU and Kwantlen.”
Annis said with recent talk of a regional or provincial police force, Surrey can make the case that it should be home to a new provincial training academy that includes a modern centre of policing excellence.
“Policing has become more complicated and complex, and we demand a lot from newly graduated police officers, so why not make a new training academy a centre of policing excellence as well,” added Annis. “We’re moving ahead with the SPS, so let’s take advantage of this decision and build something that benefits every municipal police force in the province and has the capacity and scope to grow if and when we move towards a regional or provincial police force. Going ahead with the SPS is a bigger opportunity than just getting a new municipal police department. I’d like city hall and the provincial government to take a really serious look at a new police academy and centre of excellence in Surrey. I think it’s practical and has real merit and would be an incredible new addition to our city in the growing years ahead.”