Abbotsford – An update on the expansion of the Abbotsford Police Headquarters:
As the City of Abbotsford has witnessed rapid growth over the past several years, the Abbotsford Police Department (AbbyPD) experienced building capacity challenges, and identified opportunities for increased efficiencies as AbbyPD operations were spread out across Abbotsford at several locations to accommodate staffing, equipment and community needs. The original building was constructed in 1987 when the (Matsqui) Police Department was just 74 officers along with a complement of support staff served a population of 58,000 residents. AbbyPD now stands at over 230 officers, 86 civilian staff and 160 volunteers, serving a population of nearly 165,000 residents. The complexities of policing have also increased, requiring more space for specialty units. The updated building will provide officers and civilian staff with the space and tools to do their jobs safely and effectively as they strive to make Abbotsford the safest city in BC by suppressing gang violence, reducing property crime related offences, engaging with our diverse community and more.
Some key features of the new headquarters include:
- All staff under one roof
- Project rooms for advanced investigations
- Enhanced and modernized forensics lab
- Enhanced and modernized digital forensics lab
- Space allocated for advanced training through classrooms and training gyms
- Two levels of secure parking for police vehicles
- 12,000 sq. ft. of shelled space for future expansion.
These features will enhance the operational capabilities of the police department and contribute to its mission of community safety in a number of ways.
- Enhanced collaboration and cooperation between operational units because of being in one building. Increase in morale by having a secure, modern facility for staff who will spend significant portions of their lives within the walls of the building.
- Parking reduces the footprint required for external parking in the civic precinct. Investigations can go on for months, so having dedicated project rooms provides investigators with space to work uninterrupted and with more synergy.
- Traditional forensics become more complex all the time, requiring new equipment and training to locate and secure trace evidence.
- As the world gets more reliant on electronic devices every day and that includes criminals, the police must be able to respond and gather digital evidence to advance investigations.
- Police departments are expected to have advanced training in several soft and hard skills. Being able to train on site provides more opportunity for officers to attend and for less reliance securing outside facilities.
- The City of Abbotsford will continue to grow, which will result in increased demands on the AbbyPD. Having additional shelled space will allow for future expansion without going to another building.
The AbbyPD has provided excellence in policing to the residents, businesses, and visitors to Abbotsford. The expansion and renovation helps modernize the service provided. As the Hub of the Fraser Valley, the City of Abbotsford provides regional access to an international airport, international border crossing, Trans-Canada Highway, a thriving university, a regional hospital and cancer treatment center, and is one of the largest food agriculture producing communities in Canada. All those result in the need for emergency services including the police to respond to public safety emergencies and events related to climate change.
Updates to the project can be found on our website at www.abbotsford.ca/city-hall/projects-go/abbotsford-police-department-expansion.
