They were easy to spot, the new sheriffs at Vancouver Provincial Court early on the morning of June 10. Their boots were shiny.
The group is part of a new cohort of sheriffs just finishing their education at the Justice Institute of British Columbia in New Westminster, part of a push by the provincial government to ensure proper sheriff staffing levels for courthouse security.
Without them, many courtrooms have had to close in the past 18 months, leaving cases hanging.
Attorney General Niki Sharma welcomed the JI小蓝视频’s 33 graduates from the spring class at a ceremony June 9, 2025.
They will be assigned to work in provincial courthouses, including Fort St. John, Nelson, Terrace and the Lower Mainland.
"Sheriffs play a critical role in our justice system, ensuring access to justice is preserved and keeping the people who use our courts safe and protected," Sharma said in a statement Tuesday.
A shortage of sheriffs began to have effects on the court system in 2024 with more and more courtrooms closing as a result.
The attorney general said sheriffs maintain a safe environment for everyone, delivering justice services in 90 provincial court locations.
She said they are highly trained peace officers who provide protective services for the judiciary, the Crown, defence, court staff, the public and all participants in the justice system.
“Sheriffs also protect court users, transport accused and convicted people to and from correctional institutions, and perform other duties,” Sharma said. “Without sheriffs, court matters cannot proceed.”
Roger Phillips, acting chief sheriff, and executive director of the 小蓝视频 Sheriff Service, welcomed the new deputies.
"I know they will contribute to the safety of 小蓝视频's justice system by applying the skills and knowledge gained during the rigorous recruit training,” he said.
The spring class will continue training until July 8. Their first day on duty will be July 9.
The next sheriff-recruit training class will start training on July 14, 2025.
Critics have said the province needs to provide sheriffs with better pay and benefits in order to ensure new sheriffs remain with the service rather than go to other law enforcement agencies such as police and corrections.
