PC government OKs sheriff training, says new classes coming soon

The Progressive Conservative government has completed enough of its financial review of Manitoba Justice and plans to hire up to 46 new sheriffs.

CBC News learned a recruitment training class of 15 sheriffs set for August was postponed by the PCs as the department did an internal fiscal review of services. Recruits had upgraded their training and at least one had quit his job to take the training.

• Sheriffs classes postponed by government financial review

The recruits were given no explanation for the delay or when it might start again. The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union says the postponement created workplace safety and health issues forcurrent sheriffs.

The Pallister government was asked about the postponement Wednesday by NDP justice critic Andrew Swan.

"It's unfair to a bunch ofManitobansthat want to pursue a career as sheriff officers and second it's going to be a problem in our courts...either there is going to be overworking of sheriffs officers and the government is going to end up paying overtime or those officers aren't going to beavailableand it is going to wind up with the delay orcancellation of court dates," Swan said.

Late Wednesday Justice Minister Heather Stefanson says the training is back on, following the review.

"Essentially now. I've authorized the department to move forward on this issue on the training of new sheriffs officers and up to 46 [of them]," Stefanson told CBC News.

Stefanson says the relatively new PC government was determined to do the review to find how to better run the court system.

"We inherited a justice system with court backlogs, a high number of inmates in remand awaiting trial and so on, and sheriff officers are a significant front-line service in the system," Stefanson said.

Sheriffs providefront-line services

Stefanson's acknowledgement that sheriffs arefront-line service workers is significant in that Premier Brian Pallister has committed not to cut front-line services in his government's bid to balance the books.

The government's definition of front-line services seems to be coming into focus.

• Premier Pallister pushed to define 'front-line' jobs

Stefansonsays the sheriffs, who transport prisoners and maintain court security, among other duties, can be counted as front-line.

"Absolutely. They do incredible work for us. Mostly the review was, 'Whereare we going to allocate them?' as well, because we know our prison populations are fluctuating on a daily basis," Stefanson said.

Stefanson wasn't sure precisely when new recruitment classes would start but promised it would be within weeks.