Last summer, the BC Sheriff Service (BCSS) published an internal report "Understanding Recruitment and Retention in the BC Sheriff Service". As you may recall, the report highlighted the work done by Dr. Richard Brown of the Corporate Management Services Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General and addressed the ongoing recruitment and retention challenges plaguing the BCSS.

Recommendation #14 from the report reads: "expand the duties and authorities of deputy sheriffs, with the aim of making it a more interesting and fulfilling professional career, with a greater level of impact on the community."

We are pleased to announce that as a result of our union's advocacy, an amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act was introduced in the legislature this week. If approved, this amendment will provide BC Sheriffs with the authority to operate vehicles as emergency vehicles when they perform any of their statutory duties under the Sheriff Act. This change would not only enhance safety for our members, but for the public as well.

It is still early in the process, as it is only the first of three readings of the new legislation, but we wanted to update you on this significant news and how we are continuing to see meaningful results our union's advocacy at the minister's level.

UWU/MoveUP