History

British Columbia Sheriff Service (BCSS) traces its roots to the first Sheriff appointed by Governor
James Douglas

James Douglas (Governor)

Sir James Douglas KCB was a company fur-trader and a British colonial governor on Vancouver Island in northwestern North America, particularly in what is now British Columbia. Douglas worked for the North West Company, and later for the Hudson's Bay Company becoming a high-ranking company officer...

 in 1857 for the Colony of Vancouver Island

Colony of Vancouver Island

The Colony of Vancouver Island , was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Dominion of Canada through Confederation in 1871...

 in what is now British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Governor Douglas appointed Andrew MUIR who derived his authority from English Common law and who holds the distinction of being the first sworn Peace Officer in what is now the Province of British Columbia. The modern BCSS was formed after a consolidation of County Sheriffs by the New Democratic Party of British Columbia

New Democratic Party of British Columbia

The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...

 government in 1974, and placed under the Ministry of the Attorney General

Attorney General of British Columbia

The Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia is a provincial government department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province of British Columbia, Canada...

.

Scope of Authority

BCSS members are Peace Officer

Peace officer

A law enforcement officer , in North America, is any public-sector employee or agent whose duties involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include police officers, prison officers, customs officers, immigration officers, bailiffs, probation officers, parole officers, auxiliary officers, and...

s who receive their authority from the Criminal Code of Canada

Criminal Code of Canada

The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...

and the BC Sheriff Act and as such have legislated authority to enforce provincial and federal statutes that refer to the empowerment of Peace Officers, they have authority throughout the Province of British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

.

Training

Recruiting of new Sheriffs is handled by the Service's Recruiting and Training Section, applicants must meet provincial standards, several interview processes, background investigations, criminal records checks, physical fitness testing and medical's. Recruit training is conducted at the Sheriff Academy of the Justice Institute of British Columbia

Justice Institute of British Columbia

The Justice Institute of British Columbia is a public, post-secondary educational institution in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, that is focused on training professionals in the justice, public safety and social services fields...

. BCSS members are trained to provincial standards in the use of force

Use of force

The term use of force describes a right of an individual or authority to settle conflicts or prevent certain actions by applying measures to either: a) dissuade another party from a particular course of action, or b) physically intervene to stop them...

 options tools, including pistols, expandable batons

Baton (law enforcement)

A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...

, pepper spray

Pepper spray

Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...

 and taser

Taser

A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...

s. BCSS members are also qualified to provincial standards in Emergency vehicle operation, crowd management, Incident command system, first aid and they can be deployed during civil emergencies under the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) to assist other Law Enforcement agencies with public safety.

Special Deployments

Uniformed and plain clothes BCSS members were deployed during the 2010 Winter Olympics

2010 Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...

 and worked alongside other Law Enforcement agencies as part of the Integrated Security Unit

Integrated Security Unit

Integrated Security Unit is a joint-services infrastructure security unit created to secure major events in Canada. This administrative and operational entity was first created by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2003....

. There duties included site assessment and preparation, threat assessments, operational planning, VIP protection detail and general patrol of secure venues, sites and athlete villages.

Duties

BCSS responsibilities include the protection of the Provincial

Provincial Court of British Columbia

The Provincial Court of British Columbia is a trial level court in British Columbia that hears cases in criminal, civil and family matters....

, Supreme

Supreme Court of British Columbia

The Supreme Court of British Columbia is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia. The BCSC hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Including supernumerary judges, there are presently 108 judges...

 and Appeal

British Columbia Court of Appeal

The British Columbia Court of Appeal is the highest appellate court in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The BCCA hears appeals from the Supreme Court of British Columbia and a number of boards and tribunals. The BCCA also hears criminal appeals from the Provincial Court of British...

 Courts of BC, planning high security trials, utilizing High Security Teams, Intelligence Unit, assessing threats towards those employed in the Justice system, protection of Judge

Judge

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

s and Crown Prosecutors

Crown attorney

Crown Attorneys or Crown Counsel are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada.Crown Attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code of Canada...

, managing detention cells, transportation of prisoners by ground and air, manage and provide protection for Juries, serve court-related documents, execute court orders, execute civil and criminal warrants, and assist with coroner's court. Specialized Units have duties including assess threats towards government and public officials, providing plain clothes protection detail and executing outstanding warrants on persons wanted in other Provincial jurisdictions (Con Air Program).

Rank Structure

• Chief Sheriff
• Deputy Chief
• Superintendent
• Inspector
• Staff Sergeant
• Sergeant
• Deputy Sheriff

'Sheriff Ceremonial Unit

Ceremonial Appointments only wear their insignia while performing duties related to ceremonial occasions and only exercise their authority in relation to ceremonial occasions.

• Sergeant Major (Ceremonail Appointment)
• Colour Sergeant (Ceremonail Appointment)
• Troop Sergeant (Ceremonail Appointment)