A few weeks ago, an Edmonton court halted proceedings in a child pornography trial because there was no provincial Sheriff available to provide security in the courtroom.
I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “sheriff”, I think of this guy. Even if you don’t think of that particular character, you might, at least, associate that word with the police. In the United States, from which much of our television and movies come, do actually at time use the word “sheriff” to refer to a particular rank of police officer. We do not.
So, In Alberta, what exactly is a “sheriff”? Not surprisingly, as is often the case with these pesky legal definitions, there is more than one answer.
In terms of what happened at the courthouse, however, “sheriffs” are employees of the Solicitor General’s department (Government of Alberta), hired to help support provincial law enforcement agencies and to promote safe and secure communities throughout the province. For example:
- Communications Officers operate a 24-hour security control room where the status of alarm systems throughout the province are monitored, and the coordinate activities of contracted security personnel.
- Perimeter Security Sheriffs maintain safety and security for all persons within designated Government facilities (they do so by conducting security patrols or using complex security equipment, assesses and responds to breaches of security, and assists other security personnel).
- Law Courts Sheriffs provide and maintain a safe and secure setting for all persons within the province’s 75 provincial courthouses. For example, they are responsible for staffing metal detectors at courthouse entrances, providing general security, and they are supposed to be present in all criminal and family courtrooms.
- Law Court Sergeants are responsible for supervising Sheriffs, handling and transporting offenders, and providing police support at community events.
- Traffic Sheriffs provide specialized service in: collision investigation, awareness and educational presentations, warrant apprehension, traffic safety enforcement, traffic enforcement and joint force traffic safety operations with Alberta’s policing agencies.
- Traffic Sergeants supervise Sheriffs delivering enforcement, education and awareness initiatives. They also collaborate and partner with stakeholders, clients and other enforcement agencies to reduce collisions.
- Surveillance Sheriffs provide a complex and highly specialized services assisting other law enforcement agencies in surveillance activities and investigation on people of interest.
For more information on these roles you can see here, or watch this short video about Sheriffs. For more information on becoming a Sheriff, see here.
Just to be clear, however, there is another kind of Sheriff. This kind has to do with civil enforcement (a kind of debt collection).
For example: if you buy some new appliances on credit, then don’t make your payments, someone may show up at your door to take the appliances back. In relation to this sort of thing, the Office of the Sheriff oversees the civil enforcement “agencies” (companies) that do all this kind of work. The title of the person who actually does the work (like coming out and taking the appliances) is called a “bailiff”. For more information about that, see here.