Police Information Checks

People who volunteer or have jobs where they are in positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons may be asked to obtain an expanded police information check that includes a search for record suspensions, or pardons, for any sex offences.

The Criminal Records Act describes vulnerable people as:

“Persons who, because of their age, a disability, or other circumstances, whether temporary or permanent,

(a) are in a position of dependence on others; or,

(b) are otherwise at a greater risk than the general population of being harmed by persons in a position of authority or trust relative to them.”

The VPD will complete a vulnerable sector check based on the applicant’s name and date of birth. If no record is found, a completed police information check will be provided to the applicant.

If the applicant’s gender and date of birth match to a pardoned sex offender record, or if the vulnerable sector search is inconclusive, we will ask the applicant to provide their fingerprints to the RCMP to confirm their identity, or to determine if they have ever received a record suspension, or pardon. This is not an accusation of a crime – fingerprints are used to confirm identity only, and the fingerprints will be destroyed after 90 days when the check is complete. As with all civil checks, the RCMP does not keep fingerprints on file and they will not be searched for future purposes.

If the RCMP confirms you have a record suspension, the information will be forwarded to the Minister of Public Safety, who must give permission for the release of all or part of the information in your file. The criminal record associated with the fingerprints will be returned to the VPD and will include the record suspension sexual offence information.

At this point, we need the applicant’s permission in writing to share the information. Once the consent form is signed, we must forward the information to the requesting employer or volunteer agency.

If the applicant chooses not to give permission and disclose their record(s), we must contact the requesting agency in writing and advise them that we unable to complete the police vulnerable sector check.

Find more information on types of criminal background checks from the RCMP.

A police information check with vulnerable sector screening includes:

• criminal convictions (summary and indictable) from CPIC and/or local databases
• outstanding judicial orders, such as charges and warrants, judicial orders, peace bonds, probation and prohibition orders (as per CPIC policy, information is confirmed and authorized for release by the contributing agency)
• absolute discharges, for a period of one year from the date the applicant was found guilty, and conditional discharges, for a period of three years from the date the applicant was found guilty
• charges recommended and/or processed by other means such as diversion or alternative measures
• non-convictions including, but not limited to, stay of proceedings, withdrawn, dismissed, and cases of not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder
• any additional information in police databases, including if you were a suspect in an offence (whether or not charged), subject to provincial retention periods specific to the offence type
• adverse contact involving the threat or actual use of violence directed at other individuals, regardless of, but without disclosing mental health status
• as authorized for release by the Minister of Public Safety, all record suspension (formerly known as pardoned) criminal convictions, including non sex offences, identified as a result of a vulnerable sector query

Crime Types and Reporting Periods on Police Information Checks – Vulnerable Sector Applications

A police information check with vulnerable sector screening will NOT include:

• convictions where a record suspension has been granted (except for sexual offences)
• convictions under provincial statutes unless under exceptional circumstances
• BC Motor Vehicle Branch information (PARIS), such as traffic violations or roadside driving suspensions
• suspect information that would hinder an ongoing investigation or where the suspect has not been spoken to (this may result in the police information check being delayed or terminated)
• Youth Criminal Justice Act information beyond applicable disclosure period
• Special Interest Police category of CPIC
• information gathered outside formal occurrence reports, such as street checks or Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), except under exceptional circumstances
• any reference to contagious diseases
• victim/complainant information unless under exceptional circumstances
• information from other countries for applicants who have resided outside Canada
• Mental Health Act information