The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) has completed the first phase of its $87.1 million expansion, and staff are expected to be fully moved in over the next three weeks.
The APD held a media tour of the new building on Thursday (April 24) to announce the opening of the 105,000-square-foot four-storey expansion, which began construction in September 2022.
Mayor Ross Siemens said the expansion will “modernize and streamline key (police) services by bringing them under one roof from (five) different areas in the city.”
Police Chief Colin Watson said staff will begin moving to the new facility next week in preparation for the second phase – renovations on the older building.
Phase 2 is expected to be complete in spring 2026.
“The new facility is going to serve the Abbotsford Police Department and, in fact, the community of Abbotsford very, very well over the coming many years,” Watson said.
The new site significantly expands the size of the original headquarters, which was built in 1988 for the Matsqui Police Department when just 74 officers – along with a complement of support staff – served a population of 58,000 residents.
The APD, which was created after the amalgamation of Matsqui and the District of Abbotsford, now has almost 320 officers and staff – as well as 160 volunteers – supporting a community of 164,000.
Over the next 20 years or so, the APD expects to add 100 more total staff.
The APD is currently split over five sites, and council was previously told that the department was outgrowing its headquarters – located on Justice Way east of Clearbrook Road.
The space issues included jail cells that were often full, halls and corridors being used as storage areas because storage areas were being used for other purposes, and change rooms that were cramped and overflowing with gear.
Abbotsford council approved the expansion and renovation in 2020. At that time, the cost was projected to be $60 million, but costs jumped due mainly to the impact of the pandemic, including disruptions in the supply chain, commodity costs for construction materials, a shortage of qualified labour, and inflationary pressures.
Funding was initially expected to come partly in the form of a long-term loan from the Municipal Finance Authority, but the loan was not needed and the costs are now being covered entirely by the city's general capital reserves.
The new facilities include additional investigative space, enhanced and modernized forensics and digital forensics labs, a breathalyzer room, improved training space, and additional parking, jail cells and bail-hearing rooms.
All operational units will be brought together under one roof, and there will be improved accessibility for those with accessibility challenges.
As part of the expansion, two fallen officers have been commemorated. Laid in the foundation of the expansion are a challenge coin in memory of Const. John Davidson and a guitar pick and memorial pin for Const. John Goyer.
Goyer died on April 19, 2006 of ALS, which was triggered from a violent altercation while trying to arrest a domestic-assault suspect in 2001.
Davidson was gunned down by a man who opened fire at an Abbotsford strip mall on Nov. 6, 2017.
The next phase of the project involves integrating the existing headquarters with the new expansion.
During that phase of construction, the public service counter will be temporarily located in the community policing office at 34194 Marshall Rd.
