B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal's comment that RCMP officers be allowed to perform sheriffs' duties in court rooms is financially unsound and an admission of failure on the part of the provincial government to provide adequate staffing to provincial courts, says the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union.

RCMP officers in British Columbia make $85,000 a year on average, compared to sheriffs who are paid about $48,000 annually. Using police officers to provide sheriff services costs more money and takes resources away from law enforcement.

"The Attorney General's suggestion that the RCMP fill in as temps to address sheriff staff shortages is false economics," says BCGEU president Darryl Walker. "It's robbing Peter to pay Paul, and simply doesn't address the real issue, which is the recruitment and retention of B.C. sheriffs to ensure the secure operation of our court system."

Correctional and Sheriff Services Component chair Dean Purdy noted that the BCGEU has offered solutions to the B.C. government for years, but that little progress has been made on wage rates, which is the reason for the shortage of sheriffs.

"We've shown government the wage spreads showing differences of up to $10.27 an hour between sheriffs and those in the Greater Vancouver Transit Police and Vancouver City Police," Purdy said. "The government won't move, and the result is that the people they need choose to work elsewhere.

"In 2007, B.C. Sheriff Services hired 19 fewer sheriffs than they lost," said Purdy. "In 2008, 13 members have been hired, but we've lost 23 members already, and 2 more are confirmed to leave in August. That's a net loss of 12 more sheriffs this year."

Attorney General Oppal told the Vancouver Province newspaper recently that "sheriffs have to take some responsibility" for the adjournment of a recent Richmond trial due to a sheriff staff shortage, and called the situation "unacceptable".

"The Attorney General is right about one thing," said Walker. "The situation in B.C. courts is unacceptable, and is entirely due to his government's refusal to recognize the market value of the services our sheriffs provide."

"It's time for the government to stop blaming sheriffs and corrections officers for the staff shortages and take responsibility to address this issue," said Purdy. "We're willing to sit down with the ministry tomorrow to negotiate a solution to this issue.

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