British Columbia Sheriff Service

Last updated

British Columbia Sheriff Service
BCSS Crest cmyk pos.png
Crest
BCSS shoulder flash 2.jpg
Shoulder patch
Flag IMG 0221.jpg
Common nameBC Sheriff Service
AbbreviationBCSS
MottoHonour, Integrity, Commitment
Agency overview
FormedBC Sheriff Service, 1974
Preceding agencies
  • County sheriffs (1860)
  • Inception of Sheriffs (1857)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionBritish Columbia, Canada
Size944,735 km2 (364,764 sq mi)
Population5,710,000
Legal jurisdictionProvince of British Columbia
Governing body Ministry of the Attorney General
Constituting instrument
  • Sheriff Act&‘'Police Act'’
Operational structure
HeadquartersVancouver, BC
Deputy sheriffs551
Civilian employees30
Elected officer responsible
Agency executives
  • Paul Corrado, Chief Sheriff
  • Roger Phillips, Deputy Chief
  • Jackie Smith, Deputy Chief
Facilities
Stations46
Website
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/courthouse-services/courthouse-roles/sheriff-service

The British Columbia Sheriff Service (BCSS) is a provincial law enforcement agency overseen by the Ministry of the Attorney General in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1857, it is the oldest law enforcement agency in the province. Sheriffs are provincial peace officers appointed under the BC Sheriff Act and BC Police Act with authority to enforce all relevant federal and provincial acts, including the criminal code throughout British Columbia while in the lawful execution of their duties.

Contents

BC sheriffs provide protection and enforcement duties in support of the provincial, supreme, and appeal courts in British Columbia. The BCSS also assists local law enforcement agencies with additional resources to ensure public safety under the provincial Emergency Preparedness Program.

History

In 1857, Governor James Douglas appointed Andrew Muir as the first sheriff of the Colony of Vancouver Island. In 1860, the Sheriffs Act was created, which divided the province into nine counties. [1] Early sheriffs performed a variety of duties such as "jailhouse manager, tax collector, government agent,formed Posses and even gold commissioner". [1]

In the twentieth century, the role of sheriffs evolved further, depending on the region of the province. As sheriffs, roles included "justice of the peace, marrying people in civil ceremonies, and raising the 'hue and cry' and posse comitatus to chase and capture criminals". [1] Sheriffs were also responsible for death sentences at the Okalla prison. [1]

In 1974, the sheriff's office in British Columbia was restructured and merged into a single department known as the British Columbia Sheriff Service and reported to the attorney general. [1]

In 2021, the BCSS retired the last of its Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors. [2]

Authorities and duties

BCSS members are peace officers who receive their authority from the BC Sheriff Act and BC Police Act and, as such, have authority to enforce provincial and federal statutes. They have the authority throughout the province of British Columbia while in the lawful execution of their duties. [3]

BCSS members are armed with a sidearm while on duty; the current sidearm is the Smith & Wesson M&P.

BCSS members carry out protective and enforcement duties in support of the administration of justice, including the protection of the provincial, supreme and appeal courts of BC, coroner's court, and other official inquiries such as commissions or public hearings. [3] Duties include planning high security trials, assessing and investigating threats towards those employed in the justice system and provincial government, protection of judges, Crown prosecutors and those employed by government, managing detention cells, transportation of prisoners by ground and air, manage and provide protection for juries, serve court-related documents, execute court orders, execute criminal and civil warrants, and provide members to the BC Fugitive Return Program [4] The BCSS also assists local law enforcement agencies with additional resources to ensure public safety at special events such as Canada Day deployments. [ citation needed ]

As of early 2019, BCSS members are duty-bound and have a responsibility to act in exigent circumstances to intervene in life-threatening situations they encounter in the course of their duties. [5]

Rank structure

The rank structure and insignia consists of the following:

Ranks [6] Chief sheriff Deputy chief Superintendent Staff inspector Inspector Staff sergeant Sergeant Deputy sheriff Recruit
Insignia
BC Sheriff - Chief Sheriff.png
BC Sheriff - Deputy Chief.png
BC Sheriff - Superintendent.png
BC Sheriff - Senior Inspector.png
BC Sheriff - Inspector.png
BC Sheriff - Staff Sergeant.png
BC Sheriff - Sergeant.png
NoneNone

Recruiting

Recruiting of new sheriffs' deputies is handled by the service's Recruiting and Retention Unit. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, show safe driving records, have successfully completed the class 4 drivers license testing, pass the Sheriff's Officers Fitness Assessment Test, have current standard first aid and CPR, pass an english competency, grammar, comprehension test, pass a typing test (25 wpm), pass a comprehensive background investigation and security screening which include past-work performance reference checks, competency based interview process, comprehensive medical examinations, vision and hearing testing and voice stress analysis testing. Applicants must pass each stage and requirement of testing before moving on. [6]

Training unit

Recruit training is conducted at the Sheriff Academy at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Recruits undergo a fourteen-week training program. Block I takes place at the Sheriffs Academy in New Westminster and consists of training in emergency vehicle driving, firearms, force response options, active shooter and team deployments, conducted energy weapons (tasers), communications, legal studies, report writing, controlled access points, roles and functions, intelligence, cultural awareness, dress and deportment and physical fitness. In Block II, recruits enter the field under the direction of a training officer, who will also complete an evaluation. In order for a recruit to progress to the rank of deputy sheriff they must successfully complete both blocks. [7]

Specialized units

Line of duty deaths

In 1903, Sheriff Stephen Redgrave was killed in the line of duty in Golden, BC, when he had a heart attack while trying to effect an arrest. He was 70 years old. [11]

In 1999, Deputy Sheriff James Askew was killed in the line of duty in Kamloops, BC, while participating in dynamic training.

Related Research Articles

A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly translated to English as sheriff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Marshals Service</span> Federal law enforcement agency of the United States

The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the U.S. federal judiciary, although it is an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and operates under the direction of the U.S. Attorney General. It is the oldest U.S. federal law enforcement agency, created by the Judiciary Act of 1789 during the presidency of George Washington as the "Office of the United States Marshal". The USMS as it stands today was established in 1969 to provide guidance and assistance to U.S. Marshals throughout the federal judicial districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Security police</span> Law enforcement agencies responsible for protecting specific properties

Security police usually describes a law enforcement agency which focuses primarily on providing security and law enforcement services to particular areas or specific properties. They may be employed by governmental, public, or private institutions. Security police are generally considered distinct from security guards as security police personnel typically hold some level of law enforcement authority. The exact powers held by security police vary widely between jurisdictions. Examples of these types of agencies include the U.S. FBI Police, the Indian Central Industrial Security Force, and the British Civil Nuclear Constabulary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diplomatic Security Service</span> US Department of State law enforcement agency

The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is the principal security and law enforcement agency of the United States Department of State (DOS). As the operational division of DOS Bureau of Diplomatic Security, its primary mission is to provide security to protect diplomatic assets, personnel, and information, and combat visa and passport fraud. DSS also conducts counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cybersecurity and criminal investigations domestically and abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Mounted Police Protective Policing</span> Protective services by the RCMP

The Protective Policing Service, operated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provides security details for domestic and foreign VIPs when abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Protective Service (United States)</span> US Federal law enforcement agency

The Federal Protective Service (FPS) is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is also "the federal agency charged with protecting and delivering integrated law enforcement and security services to facilities owned or leased by the General Services Administration (GSA)"—over 9,000 buildings—and their occupants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Vancouver Transit Police</span> Police force for the Metro Vancouver public transit system in Canada

The Metro Vancouver Transit Police (MVTP), previously the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Police Service and formally the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (SCBCTAPS), is the police force for TransLink, the public transit system of the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law enforcement in the United States</span> Major component of the American criminal justice system

As of 2020, more than 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers have been serving in the United States. About 137,000 of those officers work for federal law enforcement agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law enforcement in Canada</span> Overview of law enforcement in Canada

Law enforcement in Canada is the responsibility of police services, special constabularies, and civil law enforcement agencies, which are operated by every level of government, some private and Crown corporations, and First Nations. In contrast to the United States or Mexico, and with the exception of the Unité permanente anticorruption in Quebec and the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia, there are no organizations dedicated exclusively to the investigation of criminal activity in Canada. Criminal investigations are instead conducted by police services, which maintain specialized criminal investigation units in addition to their mandate for emergency response and general community safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police</span> RCMP federal policing in British Columbia

"E" Division is the division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the province of British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province. It is the largest police body in the province, providing federal and provincial services throughout the province and policing all but 12 municipalities. In some urban areas, some municipalities have their own police forces while neighbouring ones contract with E Division. For example, Richmond is patrolled by E Division while neighbouring Vancouver has its own police force; both organizations contribute members and resources to various regional initiatives. E Division is the largest RCMP division, with 127 local detachments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Columbia Provincial Police</span>

The British Columbia Provincial Police (BCPP) was the provincial police service of British Columbia, Canada, between 1858 and 1950.

Law enforcement in Pakistan is one of the three main components of the criminal justice system of Pakistan, alongside the judiciary and the prisons. The country has a mix of federal, provincial and territorial police forces with both general and specialised functions, but the senior ranks of all the provincial forces and most of the federal ones are manned by members of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP). The PSP is one of the most prestigious part of the Central Superior Services, Pakistan's main civil service organisation. Federal law enforcement agencies are generally overseen by the Ministry of Interior of the Government of Pakistan, while provincial police forces are overseen by a department of the government of that province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Columbia Protective Services Division</span> Police division in Washington, D.C.

The District of Columbia Protective Services Division is a division of the Department of General Services of the District of Columbia Government. The organization is responsible for "law enforcement activities and physical security of all properties owned, leased or otherwise under the control of the Government of the District of Columbia."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Sheriffs Branch</span> Canadian law enforcement agency

The Alberta Sheriffs Branch is a provincial law enforcement agency overseen by the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services of the province of Alberta, Canada. Under the authority of the Peace Officer Act, Alberta Sheriffs are provincial peace officers with jurisdiction over the province of Alberta. The premier of Alberta has the authority to grant emergency police powers to all Alberta sheriffs during major emergencies within the province. The Alberta Sheriffs Branch is the largest sheriff service in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special constable</span> Auxiliary or specialized law enforcement officer

A special constable or special police constable can refer to an auxiliary or part-time law enforcement officer or a person who is granted certain (special) police powers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement</span> Law enforcement agency

British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety & Enforcement is a provincial law enforcement agency that is responsible for the compliance and enforcement of the commercial transport sector, protection of the environment and transportation infrastructure of British Columbia, increasing road safety and protecting the motoring public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of British Columbia sheriffs</span>

Governor John Douglas, the second governor for the Colony of Vancouver Island, appointed the first sheriff for Vancouver Island in 1857. Sheriff Andrew Muir was born in Scotland, and his family had established a sawmill in Sooke after they left the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company.

The police in Canada's ranks differ according to the different police forces and depend on different laws at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "B.C. Sheriff Service history". Province of British Columbia . Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  2. https://twitter.com/bcsheriffs/status/1374524063989702667 [ bare URL ]
  3. 1 2 3 "About the BC Sheriff Services". gov.bc.ca. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  4. "Deputy Sheriff Position Description" (PDF). gov.bc.ca. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  5. "Sheriff Powers, Duties and Responsibilities Regulation".
  6. 1 2 "Deputy Sheriff Career Opportunities". gov.bc.ca. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  7. "Sheriff Academy". jibc.ca. Justice Institute of British Columbia. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  8. "B.C. Sheriff Services – Integrated Threat Assessment Unit (ITAU)". gov.bc.ca. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  9. "RCMP RTIC Presentation". mapleridge.ca. City of Maple Ridge. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  10. BCSS return wanted fugitives. 2009 World Police & Fire Games. Retrieved 15 November 2008. Archived 20 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  11. "Stephen Redgrave". Find a Grave.