The Work of the Sheriff

The BCSS work at special deployments as well. During the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, the sheriffs were part of an Integrated Security Unit. They work alongside other law enforcement officials with duties such as site assessment and preparation, threat assessments, operational planning, VIP protection detail and general patrol of secure venues, sites and athlete villages.

During long weekends, the BCSS will work alongside the police with the intention of keeping the public orderly and safe.

There are also specialized units in the BCSS. The Integrated Threat Assessment Unit (ITAU) assess threats towards government and public officials as well as work with other law enforcement to gather, assess and manage intelligence. These sheriffs also manage and assist with operational planning. 

Then there is the Protective Operations Unit (POU) is in charge of the protection of individuals who may be in danger due to the nature of their work. Or perhaps these  people have been threatened. The POU will conduct infrastructure and vulnerability assessments, personal protection, transport operations, residential, site, and special event protection.

There are also specialized units to execute outstanding warrants on fugitives from other provincial jurisdictions and, using the Con Air program, these sheriffs will escort the person to the jurisdiction they are wanted in. Of course, the BCSS will return wanted people to jurisdictions in BC too.

The Sheriff Provincial Operations Centre (S.P.O.C.) is the home for the provincial radio communications and dispatch centre for the BCSS. You will also discover that the S.P.O.C. is the centralized hub for Canadian Police Information Centre (C.P.I.C.) operations for the BCSS. S.P.O.C.

The S.P.O.C. is also responsible for the provincial fleet operations (P.F.O.) and manages the Sheriff's Fugitive Return Program planning and deployments.

The fugitive return program is funded by the Civil Forfeiture within the BC Government. Under the program members of BCSS work alongside other B.C. Law Enforcement partners to remove persons with outstanding warrants from other Canadian provinces and return the wanted persons to the province of jurisdictions.

I would like to thank Wikipedia for the information on the BCSS.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

BCSS

Recruitment for the British Columbia Sheriff Service is handled by the Service's Recruiting and Selection Unit. It isn't easy. Applicants must meet provincial standards, go through several interviews - including a panel interview - answer a questionnaire on lifestyle and integrity and background and criminal checks are performed. Of course, there is physical fitness testing, driving and vision tests as well as medical.

Recruits undergo an intensive 16-week training program and the Justice Institute of British Columbia in New Westminster - the same building where I meet with the Toastmasters group I just joined. The training is broken in three blocks and consists of training in Legal Studies, Report Writing, Force Response Options, Arrest and Control techniques, Physical Fitness, Communications, Dress and Deportment, Emergency Operation / Driving training and Roles and Responsibilities.

The  soon to be sheriffs are also trained to provincial standards in use of force option tools such as pistols, expandable batons, OC pepper spray and CEW tasers. BCSS members receive ongoing training in active shooter scenarios and team deployments. They are also qualified to to provincial standards in Emergency vehicle operation, crowd management, incident command system and first aid. Sheriffs can be deployed to help other law enforcement agencies with public safety during civil emergencies.

The BCSS members continue their training after the initial 16 weeks. They receive advanced training in media management motorcade training, communications skills, controlled access points, command level incident command, managing targeted violence, infrastructure vulnerability assessment training, legal studies refresher course, communications tactics and radio communications, drug identification, notebook and advanced report writing, basic criminal investigation/contact and cover, gangs course, corruption integrity and compromise course, force response options, euthanization of wildlife, intelligence officer Level 1 course and threat awareness. These law enforcements members are encouraged to take advantage of a large range of law enforcement related courses offered by the Justice Institute of British Columbia or through other law enforcement agencies.

I have a little more to tell you about the BCSS but I will do that on Monday. You only have until 8 AM PST June 29 (Saturday) to get a copy of my eBook On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success, for 99 cents in the UK and the US. 

Here's a little sample:

Mondays can be unpleasant days but none as awful as June 5, 2000 was to me. My alarm sounded and when I reached over to try to turn it off, my left arm wouldn’t move. I sleep on my right side so I had to manoeuvre myself so that I could turn off the noise. I managed to do that then struggled to sit up. I sleepily stood, but then my left leg collapsed under me.

First thing in the morning, I am not fully awake but I do know I have to go to the washroom – that room calls me as soon as my eyes open. Sometimes even before. That Monday I crawled the short distance between my bedroom and the bathroom where I hauled myself onto the toilet, took care of business, and then dragged myself up to the bathroom sink. I leaned against the vanity and brushed my teeth, watching myself in the mirror as I did so. It was strange. Nothing on the left side of my face moved. It was as if someone had drawn a line down the center of my body and everything on the right side was fine but the left side didn’t move. What was going on?

I want to say thank you to wikipedia for the information on the BCSS. The photos are from my jaunt to Pacific Spirit Park.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Here Come The Sheriff

If you go back to the year 1857, you will find that Governor James Douglas has appointed the first sheriff for the Colony of Vancouver Island. Andrew Muir was appointed and derived his authority from English Common Law. Muir holds the distinction of being the first sworn Peace Officer in what is now known as British Columbia.

In 1974, the British Columbia Sheriff Service - BCSS - was formed when the New Democratic Party consolidated County Sheriffs. The organization was placed under the Ministry of the Attorney General.

The BCSS are Peace Officers. They receive their authority from the Criminal Code of Canada, the BC Police Act and the BC Sheriff Act. The Sheriffs have legislated authority throughout the province to enforce provincial and federal statutes that refer to the empowerment of Peace Officers.

Our Sheriffs have numerous responsibilities. The BCSS is in charge of such matters as the protection of the Provincial, Supreme and Appeal Courts of BC, planning high security trials, utilizing High Security Teams, Intelligence Unit and assessing threats towards those employed in the Justice system.  The Sheriffs are also in charge of the protection of Judges and Crown Prosecutors, managing detention cells, transportation of prisoners by ground and air, manage and provide protection for Juries. The BCSS serve court-related documents, execute court orders, execute civil and criminal warrants, and assist with coroner's court.

Wow, the sheriffs of the BCSS do a lot of stuff and on Friday I am going to tell you more about the training and other stuff they do. However, right now I want to tell that until Saturday morning at 8 am PST, my eBook On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success, will be on sale for 99 cents in the UK and the US.

Here's a blurb to get you interested:

What if you woke one day to find yourself paralysed on one side of your body?

That’s what happened to Karen Magill on June 5, 2000. Nine days later she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and just over three months after that, she had to leave the best job she had ever had. Ms. Magill started on a frightening, confusing journey that was her life now.

Then something interesting happened. Once Karen began adjusting to her new circumstances, coming to terms with the fact that her former life had vanished, she realized that the MS was a gift. Her eyes opened to the possibilities around her.

On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success looks at Ms. Magill’s life with MS and the factors in life, which influence her.  This isn’t a how to book on living well with chronic illness, but rather a touching, opinionated, sometimes humorous story on how one person has gone from partial paralysis to jumping to touch low hanging tree leaves.

As long as we aren’t six feet under, we are on the right side and anything is possible. That’s the philosophy Ms. Magill lives by and hopes that readers will come to realize that they too can overcome hardships and live good lives. 

I want to thank Wikipedia for the information on the BCSS.

I hope you find the beauty around you.