British Columbia Sheriff Service

The British Columbia Sheriff Service (BCSS) is the smaller of the two provincial police forces of the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC). While deputies of the BCSS are legally peace officers and are entitled to enforce the law in any and all contexts, the main focus of the BCSS is on areas of law enforcement and security outside the regular policing of the larger of BC's two police forces, the British Columbia Provincial Police (BCPP). While the BCPP patrons provincial and federal highways, investigates crimes under provincial jurisdiction, and also contracts with many regional and municipal districts to provide local policing, the BCSS handles issues such as the provincial witness protection program, transportation of printers and detainees between institutions, maintaining the security of all judicial institutions and all persons within the judicial system, as well as protecting the government of British Columbia, namely the Legislative Assembly of BC in New Westminster and the executive residence and working place as well as the person of the Premier of BC. The Sheriff of British Columbia is appointed by the Solicitor General on advice of the Premier and Attorney General.

BC Corrections operates the provincial prisons within BC, but the Sheriff Service is responsible for the transportation of prisoners between facilities as well as the operation of pretrial/remand detention centres, similar to the operation of regular jails by local/regional police forces as well as the BCPP. The BCSS itself has several jail facilities, although much less for a force of its size and even smaller forces, as much off its responsibilities are handling prisoners or detainees already in custody; furthermore, it is customary for arrests made by deputies to be turned over to the relevant police authority, where formal charging can occur. The BCSS does have the right to law charges or at least consult with the Crown Prosecution Service, but generally this is handled by other police agencies, including the BCPP; the Sheriff Service also lacks excellent infrastructure in regards to initiating charges, as it was designed as a security and enforcement branch in the judicial system rather than alien to it in the way regular police forces are.