DATE:	19 September 2006
TO:	Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board
FROM:	Director General, Ottawa Police Service
SUBJECT:	RESPONSE TO OUTSTANDING INQUIRY I-06-04: FEES FOR POLICE RECORD CHECKS

RECOMMENDATION

That the Ottawa Police Services Board receive this report for information.

BACKGROUND

At the Ottawa Police Services Board meeting on 27 March 2006, the issue of police records checks was raised and the following inquiry was made: “That staff report back to the Board on the rationale for the current fee structure, whether the current fees are covering all costs associated with the process, and whether there should be inflationary increases on an annual basis.”

On 26 May 2003, the Ottawa Police Services Board approved the current fee structure for police and criminal records checks:

Type of Service		Charge
1.	Police Records Checks - Volunteers in Non-Profit Sector	Free
2.	Police Records Checks – Other	$10
3.	Criminal Records Checks	$25
4.	Express Fee for Police Records Checks	Add $25
5.	Non-Resident Surcharge	$10

With respect to other police services in Ontario, the fee structure approved in 2003 placed OPS at the low end of the market for Police Records Checks and at mid-market for Criminal Records Checks. It did not provide for full recovery of costs.

Police Records Checks consist of searches of data stored in the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC). The check confirms whether the subject has an existing criminal record, warrants and / or outstanding criminal charges. It is also supplemented by searches of local police records within the jurisdictions where the applicant resided during the past five years. This search attempts to locate any information that may be relevant to non-profit sector managers hiring employees or selecting volunteers for the vulnerable sector of the population.

Criminal Records Checks consist of searches of data stored in the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC). The check confirms whether the subject has an existing criminal record, warrants and / or outstanding criminal charges. This service is usually required as part of an application for visas, work permits, licences, employment or volunteer assignments.

Police Records Checks are offered on a “walk-in / mail-back” basis and are completed within 15 to 25 business days. In time-sensitive circumstances, an express Police Records Check service is available for an additional cost, provided that the applicant resided in the Ottawa Police Service’s jurisdiction during the past fives years (i.e., no other jurisdiction’s local records need to be searched). Criminal Records Checks are provided on a “walk-in / while-you-wait” basis.

The Non-Resident Surcharge is aimed at ensuring that Ottawa taxpayers do not subsidize clients who, for whatever reason, travel from other jurisdictions to utilize OPS services.

DISCUSSION

A review of the costs associated with the process of providing Police and Criminal Records Checks revealed that current fees do not cover all costs associated with the process. The 2006 annual cost of providing these services is estimated at $1,026,000, while 2006 revenues are estimated at $712,000. The annual cost of providing these services includes the cost of staff and associated administrative overhead, computer operations, telecommunication costs, cost of supplies and facilities used in the process.

Contributing to the $314,000 gap between the cost of providing the service and the generated revenues are the two key features of the service provided by OPS: (a) the practice of providing Police Records Checks as a free service to members of the community who volunteer with the vulnerable sector, as well as (b) the very low fee of only $10 charged to members of the community who seek employment in the non-profit sector.

Despite the gap between the cost of service and generated revenues, staff are recommending that the fee structure for records checks should remain unchanged at this time. The implementation of the Real Time IDentification (RTID) system by the RCMP in 2007 will result in changes to the processing of Criminal Records Checks and Police Records Checks across Canada. Fingerprint checks, with an associated fee, may now become a mandatory requirement at the federal level. The timing and phase-in of these changes has not been finalized. The OPS will have to re-engineer the business processes associated with providing these two services. To prevent a widening of the gap between the cost of providing criminal and police records checks and the revenue generated by these services, the Police Services Board may have to consider revising service fees to reflect the significant changes in this process.

CONSULTATION

This is an important policy for the Police Service’s partners in the non-profit and volunteer sector. Any future changes to the rates will be the subject of a consultation process with those partners.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

There are no financial implications with the receipt of this report.

CONCLUSION

It is recommended that the service fees for Police Records Checks and Criminal Records Checks remain unchanged until the RCMP’s implementation of the RTID system.

Debra Frazer

Director General

I concur

Vince Bevan

Chief of Police