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.