The BCGEU is disappointed with the provincial government's decision to put on hold plans to add traffic duties to the work of sheriffs.

The Assistant Deputy Minister of Court Services, Rob Wood, informed sheriffs of the government's position on Friday. Wood wrote the following in an e-mail to staff:

"On the Sheriff Services side, we have for some time now, been looking for ways to expand job duties and increase career paths for Sheriffs.  One of the options we have been exploring is a pilot where Sheriffs would take on some of the traffic enforcement duties currently delivered by police officers.  The intent of the pilot is to explore an expanded peace officer role for BC Sheriffs, while at the same time freeing up police resources to focus on more serious crimes.  

 As you no doubt read this week, we ran into some setbacks with this project and will not be in a position to move forward with this initiative yet.  I know this is a disappointment to Sheriff Services staff; and while this particular project has not moved forward yet, I want you to know that Dave Maedel and I remain committed to seeking real opportunities to build on and expand the role of Sheriffs now and in the future.  "  

"We are clearly disappointed with the decision," said Dean Purdy, chair of the union's Correctional and Sheriff Services component.  "We heard the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Rich Coleman, say last week that adding traffic duties to sheriffs wasn't in their "short term plans” so we’re hopeful this is a temporary setback and that the government will move forward with the plan in the next few months." 

"Having sheriffs take on extra traffic duties has been a success in Alberta as shown by the recent expansion of their work to assist with anti-gang activity," said Purdy. "It is clear that this proposal would free up police officers to concentrate on more serious crime. The plan was to assist the police by augmenting  their duties, not replacing them. "

Fourteen sheriffs in total in communities around the province (Campbell River, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Prince George, Salmon Arm and Victoria) have already received the extra training. They will continue with their current jobs. 

"I don’t want to see this project stalled too long and have to say the training was wasted," said Purdy. "My concern is that the provincial government has not dealt with the number of sheriffs that are needed. We've seen this with the cancellation of trials in Victoria and with plans by the government to use corrections officers and possibly RCMP to provide court security in the Lower Mainland." 

"There are over 7,700 outstanding bench warrants and 25,000 other warrants going undelivered because police services are overtaxed. This is the kind of work sheriffs can do, if the government had only thought this through," said Purdy.