A freshly minted graduating class of a dozen new deputy sheriffs will be deployed to communities throughout British Columbia to protect courthouses and justice system participants, announced Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton today.

The new recruits will serve B.C. courthouses in Prince George, Fort St. John, Quesnel, Kamloops, Terrace, Williams Lake, Dawson Creek, Vernon and Cranbrook. One additional recruit will be based out of New Westminster and will serve several courthouses in the Lower Mainland, including Vancouver Law Courts, North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and Port Coquitlam.

Graduates are specifically trained to uphold the security of courthouses and the safety of court users, and have completed an intensive 16-week Sheriff Recruit Training program at the Justice Institute of British Columbia in New Westminster, one of Canada’s leading providers of public-safety-sector training. The program included both in-class and field training at courthouses.

The primary responsibilities of sheriffs include:

• Providing prisoner escorts between courthouses, correctional centres and police lock-up facilities.
• Courthouse and courtroom security, including the management of courthouse lock-up facilities.
• Jury management.
• Providing protection services to government as well as threat assessment to ministries.

The new recruits join an existing complement of approximately 495 sheriffs serving throughout the province.

Quotes:

Suzanne Anton, Attorney General and Minister of Justice -

“B.C. sheriffs provide a critical service for every British Columbian who is involved with the courts, and I congratulate this graduating class of new recruits. I know that they will make significant contributions to public safety and I wish them long and successful careers with B.C. Sheriff Services.”

Chief Sheriff Paul Corrado -

“We are very pleased to welcome this promising new group of peace officers into B.C.’s courthouses. Their role is a challenging one, and is integral to the smooth functioning of our court system. I am confident that their work will benefit British Columbians for years to come.”

Dr. Laureen Styles, JIBC vice-president, academic -

“As Canada’s leading public safety educator, the Justice Institute of British Columbia is proud of our contributions to safer communities and a more just society, having trained more than 1,000 sheriffs in B.C. over the last 35 years. Our strong relationship with the Ministry of Justice affords us the ability to ensure that the training provided is highly relevant to the work that graduates will be undertaking. We congratulate our sheriff graduates for completing their program and wish them well in their new responsibilities throughout the province.”

Learn More:

Ministry of Justice B.C. Sheriff Services: http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/sheriffs/index.htm

Media Contacts:

Ministry of Justice
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 208-0618