Last week, a shortage of courthouse sheriffs resulted in two accused cocaine and heroin traffickers being freed without facing trial. This prompted extensive province-wide media coverage in which your Component Vice President Dean Purdy spoke on behalf of the BCGEU.

“I think the public would find it infuriating that two drug dealers walked free because there weren't enough sheriffs available to protect the courtrooms,” said Purdy. “The public is being put at risk unnecessarily. It is reckless of the provincial government to not immediately address this critical problem.”

The provincial government has cut sheriff positions from more than 500 province-wide to less than 400. BCGEU issued a press release last Thursday calling on Premier Christy Clark to keep her promise to fix the sheriff shortage.

The issue has been a dominant topic at the legislature. In last week’s Question Period, Mike Farnworth, the BC NDP's public safety critic, said "This government is guilty of under valuing the work of sheriffs in B.C. This attorney general and this government are guilty of causing the chaos in our courtrooms."

Watch the complete clip of Mike Farnworth questioning the minister on justice system cuts here. 

 In case you missed it, here is a complete list of the media coverage of the sheriff shortage in court system:

• CKNW: Why is there a lack of Sheriffs at the Victoria courthouse? - BCGEU Component 1 Vice President Dean Purdy joined CKNW’s Simi Sara to discuss the sheriff shortage. 
• ​Second drug case tossed on another day of severe sheriff shortages – Times Colonist
• Court staffing shortages allowing accused criminals to walk free – Global BC 
• Accused drug dealer walks free due to sheriff shortage – Global BC 
• Accused drug trafficker walks free due to Victoria's sheriff shortage – CTV Vancouver Island 
• Accused criminals go free due to shortages of sheriffs, court staff – CBC BC 
• Judge frees accused drug dealer due to lack of sheriff – Times Colonist 
• Dean Purdy VP of the Corrections and Sheriffs component of the BCGEU talks about the sheriff shortage - CFAX (Dean’s interview follows a 10-second ad, then scroll to the 1:40 mark)
• Editorial: Victoria courts breaking down - Times Colonist

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