By Taylor MacPherson

Court security contract creates conflict

Jan 19, 2017 | 11:00 AM

A decision by the Province to replace 14 armed deputy sheriffs with unarmed private contractors at provincial courthouses is not sitting well with the remaining deputies, or their union.

Bob Bymoen, president of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union, said several deputies have filed safety grievances under the province’s labour regulations since Commissionaires took over perimeter screening duties Jan. 3.

“In some of the locations [including Prince Albert], the workers have asked if they could implement section 31 of the Employment Act, which is a right of refusal,” Bymoen said.

Bymoen said the complaints are based on physical ability. In the view of some deputies, Bymoen said, the Commissionaires are not physically able to secure the courthouses to an acceptable standard, which endangers everyone inside.

“In some cases these Commissionaires have got health issues that clearly would not allow them to be active in a situation that requires physical effort to settle it down,” Bymoen said. “They won’t be doing any running or anything like that.”

Lighting it up

P.A.'s Zablocki leads Regina to victory on Day 4 at Esso Cup

12h ago

WORLD SOFTBALL

Group stages officially set for Men's Softball World Cup in P.A.

19h ago

Safety first

Safety concerns and tips surrounding discarded needles in P.A.

Apr 23, 2024

There is no animosity between the deputies and Commissionaires, he said, adding the complaints made by the deputies were founded on valid safety concerns.

“It’s not like this is just a ploy; it’s a legitimate concern,” Bymoen said. “They’re concerned not only about the safety of themselves, but about the security of everyone in the courts.”

“The court system is one of the building blocks of a free and democratic society, and we shouldn’t take it lightly. Staff morale, you can only imagine, is at an all-time low.”

Ministry of Justice Executive Director Drew Wilby said the Province has been forced to assign extra deputies to supplement the Commissionaires while Occupational Health and Safety investigates the complaints.

“We understand that some of the deputy sheriffs are seeking some clarification about the current role they play when working in collaboration with the Commissionaires on perimeter screening,” he said, noting two extra deputies were assigned to courthouses in Regina and Prince Albert while the complaints are investigated.

Wilby said the Province still expects to save hundreds of thousands of dollars by employing the Commissionaires.

“We still expect to save approximately $308,000 annually,” he said. “That will start in 2017-18 as there were some severance costs and other costs related with the transfer.”

His office has not seen any complaints from the public about the change, Wilby said.

“We’ve had a fairly successful transition. We’re confident in the service that’s being delivered at the courthouses around the province,” he said.

When asked about the fitness of the Commissionaires, Wilby reiterated that the Province is confident in their ability to provide security.

Taylor MacPherson is paNOW’s court reporter and weekend editor. He can be reached at Taylor.MacPherson@jpbg.ca or tweet him @tmacphersonnews.